Retribution
by ScatterSunshine50
Summary: A slow-motion look at the off-script spaces in Edgar's life in which he grew and learned how to be human and care for others.
1. Week 1:Understanding

AN: I just had this story transfered from another account, so I apologize if some things got lost on the way. I was LadyLore56, if people remember me better by that name.

This story takes place close to the beginning, starting the day after "Home for You" and after the first part of "Show You a Thing or Two" when he learns "hello" and "boy". I wrote this story generally in two-chapter chunks, where every two chapters, it jumps a week or so into the future and rotates around a different character and their relationship with Edgar. I basically started writing this story because I believed the show - as wonderful as it was, and as much as I loved it - didn't have enough character development, in the first act particularly. I felt cheated out of Edgar and Shelley's relationship, Dr. Parker suddenly hating Edgar felt so random, and Meredith, as much as I love her, had so much room to show her inner dark past of her and just didn't as much as I would have liked her to. So I did what the creators didn't have time to do, and made my own version of how everyone's relationships with each other unfolded over the time that Edgar was there. So yeah, that's my little preface...enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Bat Boy:The Musical.

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><p>Retribution<p>

Week 1: Understanding

Edgar had only been there for two days, and already Meredith was wondering if any of this was worth it. She had been hard at work trying to teach the boy, but he had difficulty pronouncing even the simplest sounds, often to the point where even the most primitive words sounded jumbled and foreign until they weren't even words at all. She had spent nearly the entire previous morning giving him a bath, having to refill the tub at least four times because he was so dirty, then wrestling him into some clothes that, even now, he could not comprehend how or why he needed to wear them. They were Thomas' old clothes, and they were way too big on him, the sleeves hanging off his fingertips and making him trip when he crawled on the floor, and his shirt constantly twisting around, needing adjustment. She would have gone and bought him some new clothes if it wasn't still raining outside. In all honesty, she was a little scared to leave him home alone, even in the cage. She hadn't noticed when he was too weak and hungry to notice the storm the day before, but she saw now that he was afraid of lightning and especially of thunder. Every time thunder clapped across the gray sky, he would scream and hide his head in his knees, as if this would protect him from the sound. Luckily the rain was mild today, and she had no difficulty getting him to sit still so she could continue trying to teach him to speak.

As Meredith began to take her new student under her wing, Edgar began to slowly develop some degree of trust in her. When she thought Edgar was starting to lose interest in learning the new phrases she taught him, she would leave him in his cage for an extended length of time to go do some chores around the house. He would whine and bite on the cage bars until she let him out again, and after another hour-long teaching session, she decided to try letting him roam free, thinking maybe this would also help him to feel less frightened of the rain if he wasn't locked in a cage where there was nowhere to hide. She was surprised to see that he was actually very well-behaved. Energetic and maybe a little reckless when it came to furniture, but nothing close to dangerous. He was too scared to be alone, so he would quietly follow her wherever she went, never too close to her but still close enough that she could see him. As she went about carrying loads of laundry, she would always turn around, and he never failed to be there, following her quietly wherever she went. She didn't find it annoying at all, even when he did make a little bit of noise. For the most part, he knew she at least wasn't going to hurt him, and she respected his preference for following her around over sitting alone in his cage.

"Mooooom!"Edgar heard a female voice yell from the front door. He lifted his head up off the floor, interested.

"I'm in here, sweetheart,"Meredith called. Edgar instinctively scooted a little closer to Meredith, hearing footsteps approaching them and immediately taking a defensive stance.

"Hey!"Shelley called as she entered, throwing her backpack on the couch, "Why isn't he in the cage?"

"He doesn't like the cage,"she replied with a smile, "He's been following me around like a little duckling all day. It's very cute, actually. It's a never-ending game of follow the leader."

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"she asked, eying him suspiciously.

"He's been perfectly fine so far,"she countered, "He's very well-behaved. He even learned some new words while you were gone."

"Wait, like he can talk?"she asked incredulously, "Make him say something!" Meredith turned to the boy expectantly, but Edgar refused to open his mouth. He backed away, staring fearfully at Shelley. He remembered this girl. He remembered the awful hatred and annoyance on her face. He knew she didn't like him.

"He looks kind of scared, Mom,"Shelley commented, watching him cautiously back away.

"He just doesn't know you, dear,"she explained, "Why don't you try introducing yourself?"

"Okay...,"she said, shrugging. She knelt down on the floor, scooting closer to him. Slowly she lifted her hand and held it out.

"Come here...I won't hurt you,"she beckoned in a high-pitched voice.

"Say hello, Edgar,"Meredith pushed, gently touching his shoulder. When her hand made contact, though, he immediately flinched and backed away, staring at Meredith now as if he was reevaluating his trust in her.

"Geez, what did I do?"she asked.

"Well, you were rather rude to him when you first met. He probably remembers, dear."

"Mom, there's no way he remembers that."

"You never know..."

"He's just shy. He's like a cat. Once they know your scent, they warm up to you,"she insisted, scooting even closer to him so now she was only a few feet away from him. "Heh-llooooo. My name is Sheh-ley." He stared at her, uncomprehending.

"...H-he-hel-low,"he said slowly.

"Whoa! He said it!"she exclaimed excitedly, "Can you say, Sheh-ley?" He stared at her, unsure what she wanted him to do. When she repeated her name once more, he reasoned she must want him to repeat the sounds she made. However, when he tried to make the complicated 'sh' sound, it came out like a hiss.

"Hey! What did I do? Why's he hissing at me?"she shouted backing away.

"I think he's trying to say your name, dear,"Meredith replied, watching him.

"Not a very smart bat boy, are you?" Edgar stopped once he realized the girl was staring at him with a look of annoyance rather than expectation.

"Are you just going to sit there doing nothing or are you going to talk?"

"Shelley!"Meredith scolded.

"G-girw,"Edgar stammered, uttering the first thing Mrs. Parker had taught him that came to mind. All Shelley heard, though, was the same whiney sound he always seemed to make.

"Forget it. He's hopeless,"she sighed.

"He'll learn. We just need to train him,"she reassured her daughter.

"You say that about every animal Dad brings home, and then they go and bite you or break something,"she retaliated with an exasperated sigh, "You can't house train all of them, Mom."

"Well, we're going to try,"she responded softly, taking a shirt out of the laundry basket and folding it next to her.

"Mom, he's not a parrot. He's never going to talk and there's no way that thing could ever be trained. I mean look at him - he's a freak."

"Shelley, I really don't appreciate that attitude towards Edgar,"Meredith said evenly, turning to her daughter and giving her a cold glare.

"Why not? He's just a bat boy."

"Stop calling him bat boy. His name is Edgar,"Meredith snapped, getting irritated.

"Well, y_ou _can call him Edgar. He's _your_ bat boy,"she responded a little coldly.

"Drop the attitude, Shelley,"Meredith warned, folding the shirt in her hands and dropping it in the basket a little too roughly.

"I'm just annoyed with him, that's all. It's his fault Rick's mad at me now,"she replied, matter-of-factly.

"So you're just going to take out your problems with Rick out on Edgar?"

"He deserves it,"she argued, her cheeks flushing, "Because of him, Rick doesn't even want to come over any more! He didn't even come to school today!" Meredith was about to retort with some comment on Rick's immaturity, or his lack of understanding that it was he who had taken out the knife, not Edgar. But one look at her daughter's face, and she knew now wasn't the time.

"He was probably at the hospital with his sister, Shelley. Don't be such a drama queen."

"Well he could've texted me or something...,"she muttered, blushing because, until now, she hadn't even thought of that possibility.

"That's not Edgar's fault, Shelley, that's Rick's. Now stop this. Edgar hasn't done anything wrong to you and you and I both know it."

"Fine, but I don't want him around me. He's caused enough trouble,"she sighed, scooping up her backpack and slinging it over her shoulder. "Is Dad going to put him down or not?"

"No, he's going to stay with us for a while." She let out an exasperated sigh, looking coldly at the boy, as if she truly believed he was the cause of her newfound distance with Rick.

"How long?"she groaned as Edgar picked up a neatly folded shirt in his mouth. She cringed in disgust as she realized it was one of hers.

"I can't say. We'll see,"she replied without looking at her, "More time for you two to get to know each other."

She groaned again, watching in disgust as he picked up another shirt and seemed to be attempting to fold it for Meredith. Or at least, that's how Meredith saw it. Shelley just saw him drooling on her clothes.

Having nothing else to say, Shelley retreated back to her room, not looking at either of them and not noticing how Edgar watched her attentively as she went.

When Shelley was gone, Edgar began to grow restless, just sitting there as Mrs. Parker folded laundry. He began to explore the room, climbing on furniture, picking up everything he saw and looking at it, then putting it back in the wrong place. He was peaking up at a display table when something caught his eye. Mrs. Parker looked up from her work, seeing him crouching on the floor, holding a picture frame in his unsteady hands. He was staring at it fervently, suddenly very quiet and still. She quietly stood up and went to see what it was he was looking at. She peered over his shoulder and looked down, seeing that he was gazing down at a photograph they had taken on a family vacation to the beach. Meredith and Thomas were smiling half-heartedly up at the camera, one arm draped over their daughter, whose smile was genuine and radiant, unlike her parent's. Maybe it only seemed that way to Meredith, though.

Edgar gently set the frame down on the floor, never breaking his gaze from the picture. Meredith watched the emotions play over his face, trying to understand what words could not tell her. A chilly silence had settled in between them as Edgar stared down at this photograph. Meredith began to feel uncomfortable, watching him stare so intently with his eyes - her eyes - the one feature that marked him as her child, as her responsibility.

"This is all of us,"she tried to explain to Edgar, pointing first to herself, then to Dr. Parker, and finally to Shelley, repeating each name as she pointed to them. He just stared down at the picture, like he hadn't heard her. Slowly he raised a hand and gently touched the frame with just the edges of his fingertips, staring longingly down into the glass as if he could sink into the picture if he stared hard enough. She watched him sadly, beginning to understand, knowing that, even if he didn't really know what this picture represented, it showed happiness, and a sense of unity with people you loved and cared about, both things that were foreign to him, things that he yearned to understand.

"This is our family,"she said softly, making him look up, "Fam-ih-lie." Slowly she touched the frame as well, never breaking eye contact with him. He stared at her for a moment, then looked back down at the picture.

"F-famwey,"he repeated softly. He whispered the word so reverently, gazed down at the picture so longingly, Meredith couldn't help but feel a painful grating inside her chest, knowing that, if things had been different, he would be in this picture, too.

"That's right...,"she said softly, feeling her heart rip as he continued to gaze down at the picture in silent awe and wonder of the picture in front of him, even as she gently removed the frame from his hands and placed it carefully back where he had found it.

"Meesis Pahkah...Dahtuh Pahkah...Seh-wey...famwey,"he said slowly. Meredith stared at him disbelievingly, having until now, not truly believed that he was capable of stringing together any of the words she was teaching him to make a thought. She had never been completely sure if he was really understanding her. But she saw yearning in his eyes - a strong desire for the knowledge she had to share. He wanted to understand. He wanted to be able to communicate with her, and tell her what he was thinking, how this new environment made him feel, why that picture had stood out from the others on the display table.

"...Yes, dear. Dr. Parker, Shelley and I are a family,"she responded, speaking slowly and clearly, so he would be able to digest her response. He stared at her, a question burning in his eyes that he didn't know how to ask. She approached him slowly and held out her hand to him. He looked at the hand, unsure what to do with it. When she pushed it closer to him he shrunk back, and it wasn't until she withdrew it that he relaxed. She had been able to break down some walls the night before, but she could see now that there was still work to be done. There were other walls that needed deconstructing, other defenses that needed to be brought down before either of them could begin looking for a place for him in that picture. She gently smiled at him and motioned for him to follow her back into the living room, where Shelley's old baby books and reading flash cards were already waiting for them.

"Come on, dear. Let's get back to work...,"she said softly, gently beckoning him forward. She began walking and slowly, he started to follow, tracing her footsteps.

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><p>AN: Leave a comment if you can!<p> 


	2. Week 1:Trust

Disclaimer: I do not own Bat Boy:The Musical or any of its characters.

Week 1: Trust

Night time would came and Edgar only seemed to become more energized. When Dr. Parker had come home from work, Edgar recognized him and seemed to be less shy around him than he was with Shelley, perhaps because he knew by now that Dr. Parker meant food was nearby. He even went right up to him and said 'hello.'

"Well...hello!"Thomas replied, laughing a little as Meredith came into the room, "Got him talking already?"

"A little,"she replied modestly.

"He didn't try to hurt you at all today, did he?"he asked seriously, eyeing the open cage.

"Not at all,"she said, not beginning to mention the few pieces of furniture he had nearly destroyed. Yesterday when he had asked the same question, Meredith thought for sure he would catch her lying. That day, Edgar had nearly attacked her when she had tried to get clothes over him.

"Meredith, I know how you feel about him, but we can't just let him roam around from dawn until dusk. If people knew he was running around freely, they'd do me in,"he said, looking worriedly at the boy.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine. I've got him under control."

"I'm not worried about him,"he answered, watching Edgar climb up on the couch and knock down all the pillows, "I'm worried about you and Shelley being alone with him."

"Thomas, he's about as dangerous as a fruit fly. We'll be fine,"she reassured him. Thomas didn't look convinced, but he didn't say any more about it. He watched Edgar play with the old toys Meredith had laid out for him for a while, then went back to his study, leaving them alone. He would feed him after dinner, he reasoned, when Shelley and Meredith were cleaning dishes.

When Shelley came down for dinner, Edgar was back in his cage. Meredith did this purposely, so Shelley would not complain. Shelley cast him a quick glance, a little unnerved by the way he was staring at her so intently.

"What are you looking at?"she snapped at him, turning away. She felt his stare, drilling a hole through the back of her head. He didn't seem scared of her anymore. He seemed to understand that she meant him no bodily harm. He watched her as she disappeared behind the kitchen door, feeling his insides churn with a strange emotion he did not recognize. What was this feeling? And why did he feel it whenever he looked at her?

Dr. Parker came out of the kitchen at one point after dinner, checked behind his shoulder to make sure that they were alone, and plopped a dead mouse onto the floor of his cage. Not wanting to watch the boy eat, he went back into the kitchen for a few minutes while Edgar greedily sank his teeth into the neck of the dead rat, licking up the warm blood with his tongue. When Edgar had licked it completely clean, Dr. Parker came back, dropped what was left of the dead mouse in a brown paper bag, and left him to lick the blood off the cage floor.

When dinner was over, Meredith let him out of his cage one last time before bed.

"Edgar, come on, dear,"Meredith called when she had let him play for an hour or so, trying to get him to stop climbing on all the furniture. It was amazing how energetic he was after Dr. Parker had fed him.

"Edgar, come here,"she tried again, trying to be patient. He looked up. At this point he knew that 'Edgar' was his name and that he was supposed to give her his attention when it was called.

"Hello, Meesis Pahkuh!"he said happily when he had closed the distance between them.

"And hello to you, too, dear!"she laughed, gently motioning for him to come closer to her, "Do you remember when I taught you 'goodnight', Edgar? Do you remember?"

"Goo-nie,"he echoed.

"That's right, dear!"she said, lightly applauding him, "We say goodnight when it's time to go to sleep." He stared at her quizzically, uncomprehending. He fell silent as she slowly stood up, took him by the wrist, and started to guide him toward the cage.

"Nnzweegahbowee...,"he whined, squirming a little to get away. He hated the cage. But she insisted he went in, so he did, thinking maybe she would just let him out again like she had earlier.

"Okay, settle down now,"she instructed, pulling out a blanket and attempting to put it over him, "Come on, dear, it's just a blanket." Edgar squirmed away, confused and skeptical of the big blue sheet she kept trying to throw over him. Finally she gave up and set it at the cage door, and before he could stop her, closed the cage on him.

"Nyeeeeee!"he screamed at her, gripping the bars and shaking them.

"Come on, dear, stop that. It's time to go to bed,"she said firmly, taking a blanket and trying to put it around his shoulders. He squirmed away, afraid of what she was going to do to him.

"It's just a blanket, dear. Come on,"she urged him, coaxing him toward her. But he had had it. He stayed where he was, in the back of his cage, curled up defensively in a ball. She sighed, leaving the blanket just inside the cage and closing the door tiredly.

"Goodnight, dear,"she said softly, heading up the stairs. She felt physically and emotionally exhausted, and a little disappointed when he didn't say goodnight back like she had taught him to, as if he was confirming for her that all her work had gone to waste.

She couldn't sleep that night. She kept thinking of him down there, alone in the dark, when the rain had again escelated into a rough thunderstorm. Would he have trouble falling asleep? He had only been able to sleep through the previous night's storm because he was so exhausted. Would he be able to brave through this one? She couldn't hear him scream from upstairs, but she imagined it - his head tucked into his knees, shaking fiercely every time lightning streaked across the sky. She tossed restlessly in her sleep, then finally got up and put her robe on. Careful not to wake Thomas, she silently crept downstairs and turned on the hall light so only a little light would shine into the living room where the cage was. She stopped when she reached the door, though. Even behind the doorway, she could hear soft whimpering coming from the other room, a strange, eery noise, but whimpering none the less. Slowly she opened the door and stepped inside.

He was curled up in a ball against the very back of the cage. His clothes were twisted around him and his arm was stuck inside his shirt, and it was clear that he hadn't the faintest idea of how to get it back out. The blanket laid untouched, and he was shivering, his arms wrapped tightly around himself to keep warm. She could see tears rolling down his face in the dim light, and in an instant she felt her heart melt with sympathy.

"Edgar...,"she called softly to him, approaching the cage. He looked up for the first time and stared at her, whimpering softly. She approached him quietly, then slowly opened the cage door and sat down on the edge of it.

"Come here, sweetheart...don't be afraid,"she coaxed him, holding out her hand. He whined and made noises, resisting her for a moment. She could see the overwhelming exhaustion and fear in his eyes, and it made her sick with sympathy.

"Edgar...come on, dear,"she said softly, inching her hand a little closer, "I won't hurt you." She paused, testing her boundaries, then slowly leaned a little further into the cage and gently pressed her hand to his cheek. She felt him wince when she touched him, but he didn't move. Slowly he opened his eyes and peered at her with a glassy stare. He hadn't quite realized before when she touched him how warm and soft her hand was. The feeling was something he had never experienced before.

They both stared at each other for a moment, testing each other's level of trust. Meredith kept her hand there, never breaking eye contact. Slowly he began to relax under her gentle touch, and eventually he managed to relax his shoulders. Meredith smiled gently, encouraging him. He watched her cautiously, unsure if her direct eye contact with him was an invitation or a threat. But she smiled at him and touched him so gently that he knew she could only mean to comfort him.

"There we go...,"she whispered soothingly as he slowly began to inch his way toward her. He stared at her, his eyes glassy with tears and his whole body curled inward, like he was protecting himself from something. Slowly she reached out to him and rubbed away a tear with her thumb, making him flinch at her touch.

"Why do you flinch every time someone touches you, sweetheart?"she asked softly to him, letting him get used to her hand there, "Have you ever been touched by another person before?" He stared at her quizzically, not understanding.

"Nyaaaa,"he choked out, still crying. She nodded gently and smiled for him, but he still cried. He tried again, but she couldn't understand him. But she could see that he was trying so hard to tell her what was wrong. He struggled, only making odd sounds at first, but then he remembered a word she had used, a word she would understand.

"...H-Home,"he sobbed, staring pleadingly at her, "Home." She stared at him, dumbfounded. And then she understood. He was homesick.

He began to whine again, thinking he had failed to communicate with her. Meredith shook her head slowly and reached for him, pulling him a little closer to her. She helped him rearrange his shirt so that he could move comfortably again and then slowly wrapped her arms around him. Initially he immediately resisted, but slowly he surrendered, awkwardly though, not really knowing what to do with his body. She felt his body tense as she laid her hand on his arm, not really sure what she was doing but trusting her to comfort him none the less.

"I'm not going to hurt you,"she whispered softly, gently rubbing his arm, "Haven't you ever trusted anyone before?" Even before she had finished the question, she already knew the answer. No, he hadn't. In an animal world where the world was built around the concept "survival of the fittest," he would never have been able to learn to trust. He had grown up in the wild, believing that protection and self-defense were the only way to survive. Of course he didn't trust her. Every touch, every movement, could potentially be a threat.

Meredith stared sadly down at the boy, then slowly picked up the blanket that was lying untouched at his feet and carefully placed it over his shoulders. He flinched when he felt it touch him, but she gently pushed his head back down on her arm, and slowly she could feel him relax as he realized the blanket wasn't going to hurt him. In fact, in a few minutes he had stopped shivering, and his sobs had died down to soft whimpers. She gently rubbed his back as he lay there on her leg, carefully working away his defenses, gently reassuring him that she was not here to hurt, only to comfort.

Thunder suddenly cracked, and Edgar's head snapped up, his face contorted in fear. He screamed and ducked his head, hiding his face in his knees.

"Shh, sweetheart, it's just thunder,"Meredith whispered, still rubbing his back. He began to cry again, screaming as another blast of thunder rolled through the sky. Meredith carefully wrapped him in her arms, trying to hold him. He was shuddering fiercely, but he seemed desperate and ready to throw himself onto any kind of comfort he could find. She could feel his tears on her shoulder, hot and piercing, and she wondered how often he had sat curled up in his cave alone during these storms, breaking down into sobs every time he heard a thunder clap, with no one there to comfort him and tell him it was just thunder. When Shelley was little, she would hide under the covers during storms, and Meredith would hold her tightly in her arms for as long as it took her to stop crying, kiss her hair and tell her that everything was alright, that she would protect her. Eventually Shelley grew to realize that the thunder sounded the same without her mother there, and that she didn't need a hug every time she got scared. Who had been there for Edgar? Who had taught him to handle fear?

Slowly he began to relax as Meredith held him, the sound of her steady breathing like a calming lullaby, and soon he stopped crying. Meredith held her breath, waiting for him to push her away and run back to the back of the cage. But he didn't. Instead he simply sat there, letting her arm drape over his back and the last of his tears flow silently down his cheeks. For a while all Meredith could hear was the gentle patting of rain outside. Meredith stared down at the stranger under her arm who was her son, looking into his soft green eyes and seeing a surrender.

"There we go...,"she whispered, tucking the blanket more tightly around him and gently rubbing his arm, "You're safe. Nothing is going to hurt you." He didn't move when she did this. Meredith continued to hold him, and when another thunder clap sounded, he flinched and let out a soft whimper, but no longer cried. After a while he finally fell asleep, drained from the long day and emotionally exhausted. Meredith waited until he was in a deep sleep to move. Carefully she laid him down in the cage and pulled the blanket over him. She was almost half-tempted to kiss him goodnight, but the very thought almost frightened her. He wasn't here to be her son. She didn't even know how much of an animal he truly was. He was here to be temporarily protected and cared for, like any other pet they would have taken in.

Even still, as she watched him sleep through the bars of his cage, she suddenly felt an uncontrollable desire to protect him. She wanted so badly to never see the fear she had seen in his eyes, to never know fear as long as he was here. She wanted him to feel loved. She wanted him to trust her.

Meredith returned to her room quietly, lost in thought and not at all tired. She poked her head in the bedroom door, holding her breath. She held back a sigh of relief when she found Thomas fast asleep on his usual side of the bed. She didn't need to go out of her way to avoid him tonight. She crept silently underneath the covers and closed her eyes, the image of her son's sleeping face burning behind her closed eyelids.

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><p>AN: The next two chapters are centered around Edgar's relationship with Shelley. I'm not quite sure about the order then, but know that Shelley and Meredith at least will have repeats. Anyway, I love feedback, thoughts, comments, whatever. The next chapter is already written. I'll post it when I feel like it, haha<p> 


	3. Week 1:Two Days Later

AN: This is a really random installment that kind of temporarily breaks the two-chapter pattern. I wrote in like an hour, and it's super random, but it just doesn't belong anywhere else but here. It's another Meredith one.

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><p>Week 1: Two days later<p>

Meredith had to wait another two days for the rain to finally stop before she could take Edgar outside for the first time. She could see that he was growing restless, having to sit around the house all day repeating words she taught him. She wanted him to have freedom to be himself, to let his transition be easier for him by giving him space to be the wild animal he was used to being.

Meredith led the boy to the back door, slowly pushing it open. Their backyard was enclosed with a fence, so she wasn't worried about him running away, but the neighnors would be able to hear him if he got out of control. She was a little nervous, but she took comfort in the fact that Thomas wouldn't be home. He would never approve of this.

Edgar didn't move from his spot, even after she had opened the door. Instead he stood back, shielding his eyes from the golden sunlight filling the room. The sun's rays were unfamiliar to him; he had never felt or even seen the sun before.

"Come on, dear. It's okay,"Meredith assured him, reaching out her hand, even though she knew he probably wouldn't take it. He hobbled forward cautiously, squinting until his eyes adjusted to the harsh light. He made it out to the back porch slowly, moving at a snail's pace. She left the door open, leaving him some way of escape if he decided this was too much for him. But as soon as Edgar stepped out of the door into the outside world for the first time, he didn't move. He seemed rooted to the spot, his eyes opened wide as he took in his new surroundings. Meredith smiled to herself as she watched him, his face a picture of awe and wonder.

He didn't seem to know where to begin. He took one step on the grass and stopped, looking down at it as if not understanding exactly how the scratchy green blades got there. He seemed to have a pattern with everything he encountered: He would discover something, then examine it closely either by sniffing or licking or touching it, and then he would move on to the next closest object. This process took a very long time, because Edgar seemed to be interested in every little thing he came across. If he took one step, he would find a rock. If he took a step past the rock, he would find a snail. If he took a step past the snail, he would see dirt.

Meredith sat on the top step of the back porch and watched him for a while as he slowly moved his way through the yard. After about ten minutes, she stood up and quietly approached him.

"This is a flower,"she explained gently, sitting down in the dirt with him as she cupped a white dandelion in her hand, "They grow from the ground. They smell very nice." Knowing he wouldn't be able to understand her without a demonstration, she carefully picked the flower and held it up to her nose, then had him do the same. He closed his eyes and sniffed the flower, paused a moment, then sniffed again, then again, then again. He seemed to enjoy the smell.

She left him to explore some more, smiling at his sweet innocence as he went up to each and every flower and sniffed it, experimenting with every possible new smell and texture. He seemed to pick up quickly that flowers that looked the same would have the same smell, because he would suddenly skip entire bushes to examine a completely unique flower. After a while he looked up at the sky, as if he had just noticed that his regular ceiling was not the roof of his cave, but a brilliant expanse of blue. He seemed completely mesmerized by it for a moment, then suddenly he moved toward her, practically skipping on his hands and feet. When he was close enough he pointed up to the sky, looking expectantly at her.

"That's the sky,"she explained softly.

"S-sky,"he repeated, still looking up. She nodded, feeling a kind of sadness grip her as she realized that this must be the first time he had ever seen the sky.

Suddenly, without warning, Edgar took off in the opposite direction, sprinting across the yard. Meredith simply stood there, confused. But as he turned around she could see that he was smiling. She had never seen him smile before, but his face was simply radiating happiness now. He was pointing to a tall tree, waiting for her to follow him. She walked toward him slowly, unable to hold back a smile of her own as she watched him, suddenly so excited and full of life, ready to learn everything there was to know.

"This is a tree,"she explained when she got close to him. He stared up at the tree, memorizing the word, then pointed up to the bush of green leaves on the branches.

"Those are leaves,"she said, reaching up and picking one for him, "Leaf."

"L-leaf,"he whispered, holding the leaf delicately in his hands, as if he was afraid any sudden movement would break it. Meredith smiled gently at him and began to explain how trees were grown, knowing he couldn't understand everything she said but hoping he would recognize familiar words and be able to get an idea of what she was talking about by her hand gestures. He watched her attentively, soaking in everything she was trying to tell him.

"Fow-uh...an' twee...gwow?"he asked slowly, looking up at her. She stared at him, taking in a brief moment of pride. This was his first complete sentence he had made.

"Yes, dear, flower and trees both grow. Everything alive grows. The grass, the trees, the flowers, even you and I grow. We get bigger and stronger over time,"she explained slowly. He didn't say anything, but Meredith suspected that he had understood more than she had originally thought he was capable.

He slowly walked away from her, looking around for something else to look at, when a squirrel suddenly caught his eye. It's back was turned from Edgar, and it didn't seem to notice Edgar as he quietly approached it, looking curiously at it.

"Edgar, don't bother the squirrel, dear. It's just going to run away from you,"Meredith warned, but of course he couldn't understand her. As Edgar crept closer and closer, Meredith noticed something not quite right. The squirrel didn't budge, even when Edgar was two feet away from it. She watched in awe as Edgar slowly leaned in and sniffed the squirrel, and still the squirrel completely ignored him as it chewed contently on its nut.

Meredith slowly stepped forward, wanting to see this up close. However, the moment she stepped toward the animal, it quickly sensed her presence and scurried away, flying up the nearest tree. Meredith watched it go, her mouth slightly hanging open. Edgar watched the animal disappear into the branches, looking sad to see it leave. Meredith just stared at him, her mind swimming.

Even though the evidence was clearly there in front of her, Meredith had not until now really been able to fully wrap her mind around that fact that Edgar was truly part-animal. Having watched this boy come out of her had seemed to burn the idea in her mind that he had to be human, and that he was incapable of being any part animal because she didn't really comprehend how she could have created anything otherwise. She looked at him as a boy who had grown up only knowing how to behave like an animal, but he truly was a different species. He possessed the capabilities of communicating with animals in a way humans never had, because he was one. That was why he alone was able to get close to the squirrel without bothering it. The animal recognized its own kind. The thought made Meredith uneasy, as if her efforts to get to know him were suddenly thwarted because she realized now, there would always be a part of him she wouldn't be able to understand.

Yet at the same time, Meredith couldn't shake her belief that he had just as much capability of communicating with humans as he did with animals. He was human deep down, he just had to be. She could see it in everything he did - the way he carefully observed everything around him, the way he eagerly asked to learn every object's name. Animals did not have that kind of unique curiosity or that passion to learn and understand the universe. Unlike him, animals simply accepted their surroundings and adapted. Edgar did more than adapt; he explored; he dug for truth and knowledge. Even now, she watched him as he stared intently at the fence, as if dreaming of what lay beyond it. He was different in his own unique way.

Meredith slowly came up behind him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder. She knew he didn't feel comfortable being touched yet, but she left her hand there anyway, letting him get used to it. He slowly turned around to look at her and smiled up at her with her eyes - her soft green eyes. She smiled back at him, feeling her heart melt with the beginnings of what would soon blossom into a full, unselfish and unyielding love.

"Come on, dear, let's look over here...,"she said, gently guiding him further into the yard.

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><p>AN: I know it wasn't very significant, but it just made me so sad to think that Edgar had never been outside in the sun before, so I had to document his first experience in writing. The next two chapters have been done for a while now, but I'm posting them Sunday, a week after my first two "Week 1" chapters were posted, because the next two start in Week 2...get it? :)<p> 


	4. Week 2:Tolerance

AN: You know what the hardest thing about writing the next two chapters was for me? Purposely writing out Edgar's grammar and spelling mistakes, haha.

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><p>Week 2: Tolerance<p>

A week had passed, and Edgar was improving faster than anybody in the family would have ever thought possible. However, as much as he had improved, it was difficult to get him to speak openly. Frequent mistakes and Meredith's gentle, yet constant correcting made him feel hesitant to reach out and converse with other people, but he could manage if he tried hard enough. He was rather unconfident when speaking and had to pause after every other word to mentally check if his next word was appropriate or not, but he seemed to understand a little better than he could speak. He knew everyone in the family and could say their names when he needed something, but he struggled to make the "sh" sound in Shelley's name.

As Meredith got to know him better, she found that he was instinctively quiet and withdrawn, sensitive, observant of others, very gentle and a very caring boy. Although he hadn't and probably wouldn't fully open up to her for a while longer, he trusted Meredith the most. He seemed to also enjoy her daughter's company, but he was too afraid to let it show. Shelley radiated exasperation and annoyance wherever she went, and he sensed it. He always observed her carefully from a distance though, and she in turn observed him with slight hostility, though Meredith simply attributed this to the fact that Shelley was too thick-headed to forgive him for damaging her relationship with Rick. Everyday Shelley would come home, tell her mother about her day for a few minutes, go get a snack from the fridge, and go upstairs and lock herself in the room. Edgar would sometimes follow her around the house in hopes of getting her attention, just as he often would with Mrs. Parker. The only difference was, whereas Mrs. Parker didn't mind at all when he tagged along wherever she went, Shelley found it incredibly annoying, and even a little creepy. She tolerated it for a few days, but when her pleas for her mother to come save her continually failed, she decided she had had enough.

"Mom, your ugly little pet is freaking me out! He won't leave me alone!"she yelled when he accidentally almost followed her into the bathroom.

"He's just curious, dear. He wants you to come down and play with him,"she called back.

"Mom, I don't have time to play with him! He's your pet, not mine!"she said, pushing him away even though he was a good four feet away, snapping, "DON'T TOUCH ME! Go back downstairs! Bad bat boy!" He stared at her curiously, not really understanding why she was wagging her finger at him. He simply remained where he was, waiting to see if she would explain herself.

"Augh! You're so stupid, you don't even know when you're being stupid! You're the dumbest, most annoying pet we've ever had!"she shouted, exasperated. She gave him one last mean glare, then quickly shut the door on him, leaving him alone outside to wonder what he had done wrong to make her hate him so. He never quite understood everything that she was saying, but he did understand that his presence was causing tension, and it made him feel inferior to everyone because someone could hate him without a reason.

Toward the end of the week, Edgar noticed that Shelley was coming home later and later - usually around the time Dr. Parker came home from work. Meredith seemed annoyed; Dr. Parker indifferent. He would sometimes hear Shelley and Mrs. Parker getting into fights when they didn't think he could hear or understand them. Mrs. Parker would tell Shelley that Rick's attitude was starting to rub off on her, and that he was making her neglect her family and her responsibilities. Shelley would argue that Edgar wasn't her responsibility, and that her mother should be happy she and Rick were so close now, not asking her to come home and babysit her new pet. Edgar didn't quite understand all of it, but he wanted to. He wanted to make everything okay between he and Shelley, so she wouldn't look at him like she did and he would know how to not bother her.

Today was another one of those days when Shelley simply hadn't come home after school. He crouched on the floor with Meredith, studying the words she held up and trying his best to read them. Mrs. Parker didn't like it when he crouched, but he hated sitting the way she told him to. Sometimes she got tired of reminding him all the time, and he would crouch for as long as he possibly could before she remembered and told him to sit properly.

"Come on, Edgar. You remember this. We did it yesterday,"she said gently.

"D-duck?"he asked unsurely, glancing unsurely up at her.

"That's right! Good job!" Somewhere on a different side of the house, Edgar heard the door slam. He sat up, his ears perking up as he listened for the sound of Shelley's footsteps.

"Meredith?"a man's voice called. It was Dr. Parker. Edgar slouched back down in disappointment.

"We're in here!" called, turning to a new card, "Alright dear, let's show Dr. Parker what a good reader you are."

"Buuuh-ket. Bucket,"he said, a little more confidently.

"Very good!"

"Looks like he's coming along pretty well,"Thomas commented, shrugging off his work coat as he stepped into the living room.

"He's already reading,"Meredith said proudly, "He's already gone through all of Shelley's baby books."

"That's incredible,"he answered, looking at Meredith, not Edgar, "The credit goes all to you, of course."

"Well, he's a hard worker and a fast learner,"Meredith said, beaming at Edgar, "Isn't that right, Edgar?" He stared at her quizzically, having not understood what exactly she had asked him. Meredith waited a moment for him to answer, then turned back to Thomas.

"Well, we're done for now,"she said, "I suppose I better go start dinner..."

"Where's Shelley?"Thomas asked, following her into the kitchen.

"At Rick's house, where else?"

"She's been spending a lot of time with that boy, lately..."

"I know...And it's strange; just last week she was telling me they were having problems."

"You don't think she's...?"

"You know, I don't really know what to think anymore." Edgar watched them both speak for a while, completely unnoticed by those around him. He loved just listening to people talk. Mrs. Parker would always slow down her speech so he could understand her, but he would always try to catch familiar words when she was talking fast like now. They both spoke with such grace and fluidity; he found it remarkable. He wanted to be able to talk like that someday.

Edgar heard Shelley come through the front door before anybody else did. His ears perked up at the sound of the door creaking open, her light foot stepping carefully over the threshold. Quickly he looked down, pretending to be studying. His plan was to keep looking down and pretend to read so she would walk in and see him working hard on his English. But as he listened to the sounds of her footsteps approach, he looked up at the last second, wanting to see if she was looking. She walked by without even looking at him.

"Shelley, is that you?"Meredith called from the kitchen. Shelley froze on the foot of the stairs.

"Um...yeah, I just got back from Rick's!"she said quickly. Edgar stared at her, sensing that something wasn't quite right, but not understanding what. She was jumpy and her cheeks were flushed, and for some reason she couldn't stop smiling. He understood then that this "Rick" must make Shelley happy.

At that moment, Shelley seemed to suddenly notice Edgar staring at her. She turned her head and glared at him, waiting for him to say something. He didn't know what to do. His tongue froze and his mind went blank. All he could do was embarrass himself and stare blankly at her.

"What are you staring at me for?"she finally asked, turning her head and hurrying up the stairs. He watched her go, feeling a hard lump form in his throat as he realized that he had once again, without quite knowing how, done something to make her dislike him.

Dr. Parker came to feed Edgar before dinner. When Edgar was finished, he went back to the living room to study while the rest of the family ate in the dining room. He wasn't really studying though. He was thinking of ways to make Shelley not look at him angrily.

He tried as hard as he could to form the right words to talk to her. He didn't want to mess this up. Usually when he talked, he would have to think hard about what word should go next. He couldn't do that with her. He had to show her that he could get it right if he tried. He sat hard and thought, waiting for dinner to end so she would come out, half wishing she wouldn't so he would have more time. He didn't even know how people made friends. He didn't know anything except that he didn't want her to give him those looks anymore.

His hands were shaking with nervousness by the time she finally emerged from the kitchen, looking preoccupied and avoiding eye contact with him. He moved toward her, then withdrew, remembering how annoyed she would get if he got too close to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out at first. He struggled to clear his throat just as she was walking past him.

"H-heh-lo, Selley,"he finally managed, greeting her quietly and forcing a weak smile for her. She rolled her eyes, walking right past him.

"It's _Shelley_!"she sighed, "For once, get it right..." She began to go up the stairs, but Edgar stopped her halfway, holding on to the railing to balance him so he could stand up straight like Mrs. Parker had taught him. He felt off balance, his legs weak and unstable, like he would fall over any second.

"Selley?"he called to her, "Selley, um, wait, pwease." Shelley slowly turned around, annoyed.

"What?"she asked grudgingly, her foot poised on the next stair.

"I...um...may I...ask question?"he asked, his voice barely audible. Shelley could see him turning pink as he looked down at the ground, afraid to look her in the eye. He shouldn't have done this. He shouldn't have even tried. He was going to mess up, and then she would never like him...

"I guess,"she sighed, impatient to get upstairs. He hesitated, awkwardly shuffling his feet. When he looked up he could see that she was giving him that annoyed look, the one that scared him. He quickly looked down, feeling his stomach tie itself into tight knots. Here it goes, he thought.

"Um...I know I...stwange,"he began nervously, "And I... not smart like you, and I no... talk vewy good and... know no big word, but...um...would you be my fwen?" Shelley stared at him, a blank expression on her face at first.

"You know, you don't really ask people to be your friend. They just are." He stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment. He visibly slumped forward. This was not the response he had been hoping for.

"Oh, um...I sowey,"he said quietly after a while, "I... not know."

"Well, now you do,"she said, sighing with exasperation, "Yeah, sure. Fine, whatever. I'll be your friend." Edgar stared at her, hardly believing what she was saying.

"...Weally?"he asked, and suddenly his whole face broke out into a huge smile as he realized she was serious.

"Sure, I don't care,"she sighed, shrugging indifferently, "Just don't bother me." She turned around to head back up the stairs.

"Um, what fwens do?"he asked, forcing her to stop. She looked beyond annoyed when he asked this. He felt his confidence plummet.

"They leave people alone and don't ask stupid questions, that's what,"she muttered with an exasperated sigh.

"Oh...,"he said, disappointed, "I never... have fwen... before. That...why I...ask." At this Shelley's face dropped a little.

"...Seriously?"she asked, "Never?"

"I...no tink so,"he replied thoughtfully.

"Well...that really sucks,"she said bluntly. He stared at her, not having a clue what "sucks" meant. However, by the look on her face, he could tell that whatever he had just said obviously couldn't be a good thing.

"Is..dat...bad?"he asked, tilting his head to the side. She shrugged, looking away. Edgar watched the foot that had been poised on the next stair drop to ground level, and immediately he relaxed.

"It's just sad, that's all,"she said, shrugging indifferently again, as if to try and make up for the emotion that she suddenly felt for him. "Wait...so are you really understanding everything I'm saying, or are you just B.S. all of this?"

"Wha'...B.S...mean?"he asked.

"Eh, my parents wouldn't want me teaching you that,"she said, quickly shaking her head.

"Oh..."

"So?"she pressed, "Are you making this all up yourself or did you get help from my mom?" She spoke so fast, Edgar had to pause a moment to try and figure out what she was saying.

"Um, no..."

"No what? No, you're doing this on your own, or no, you got help from my mom?"she pressed. His head spun, she spoke so much faster than he was used to.

"No, I no...um...got...help,"he said, trying to sound confident even though he wasn't. Shelley continued to stare at him, as if measuring his truthfulness with her eyes. He seemed to understand her, and yet, she still had difficulty believing that he was as smart as her mother claimed he was. Even still, she could tell he was trying.

"...Well, you talk pretty good. For a bat boy, anyway,"she finally conceded, "I didn't know you had gotten that good so fast." When Edgar heard this, all he could do was weakly smile, the happiness he felt for having finally met her approval dragged down by the fact that she thought that she still considered him to be just a bat boy.

"Tank you...,"he said sheepishly, "Um...could you..help me, Selly?" He didn't know what possessed him to ask such a bold question. For a moment he thought she would laugh at him for asking. In the next moment, he thought for sure she would tell him flat-out no.

"Um...I guess. If I have time,"she said instead, shrugging, "Come to think of it, my mom would probably get off my back if I just sucked it up and helped for one day. I guess I can help tomorrow after school, if you want...Just for a little bit, though." Edgar stared at her, too shocked to think of something to say right away.

"O-okay,"he said, still flabbergasted, "Tank you."

"Yeah. So...I guess I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay,"he answered, glancing up to meet her gaze, "Good nie, Selley."

She didn't bother answering him, but even so, he had never felt so happy.


	5. Week 2: Friendship

AN: This chapter's long...sorry. Also, I took a few liberties developing Rick and Shelley's relationship, so sorry if this isn't anything like how you pictured it. I'm also sorry for Edgar's speech. I know it's really hard to read, but try and sound out the sounds in your head, and hopefully that will help you understand what he's saying. As a guide, most L's and R's are written as W's.

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><p>Week 2: Friendship<p>

"Shell, wait up!" Shelley didn't need to turn around to know who that voice belonged to. She turned around anyway, smiling brightly as Rick came running up to her, slowing as he got closer.

"Hey, where are you going? I thought we were going to my house like we usually do,"he said, sliding his hand around her waist.

"I can't today, Rick, I promised Edgar I would help him,"she replied, smiling apologetically, "Maybe we can do something tonight, though..."

"Wait...who are you helping?"he asked.

"Edgar. You know, the bat boy."

"The ba - wait, what? I thought he was in a cage!"

"No, we moved him to a guest room. He doesn't need a cage. My mom's taught him to walk and read and talk and"-

"Wait? He can talk now?"he asked incredulously, "That thing can talk? That..._thing_ that attacked me?"

"Look, it's just for today, okay?"she said quickly, not looking at him.

"I can't believe you're ditching me to go be with that freak." Shelley didn't try to defend him, but she didn't say anything to support his opinion, either.

"I know, I swear I only did it to get my mom off my back,"she said, laughing nervously.

"Well, ditch the freak and come over to my place instead...,"he suggested, his grip on her waist tightening. Shelley didn't say anything at first. She stared down at the ground as they walked, Rick's grip pulling her closer and closer to him so he was practically pulling her along.

"I can come over right after..."

"Come on, Shell. Just ditch the stupid thing. It's not important,"he pressed, stopping so he could force her around to face him.

"He'd rat on me. My mom would flip,"she tried to explain, "Besides, I'm not saying I won't come over later..." His expression slowly changed when she said this.

"Alright, but as soon as you're done, okay?"

"I have to finish my homework first, too,"she added, then seeing the look on his face, continued, "My mom says I can't go out until my homework's done! Look, I've got to go. I'll call you when I'm done with everything." She let him kiss her goodbye and turned in the direction of her own house, beginning to walk away.

"Have fun!"he called back, and it was only after a moment when she realized he was being sarcastic.

"Yeah,"she forced herself to laugh too, "I will..." As she walked home, she wondered if she was really in on the joke, or if she was just laughing because she felt like she had to.

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><p>Edgar could hardly wait for Shelley to come home from school. He spent the entire morning working with Mrs. Parker, trying to figure out basic multiplication, and then the afternoon reading, looking up words in the dictionary for every other word he read and then having to look up words from the dictionary definition that he didn't understand. Mrs. Parker suggested he write down all the words he had to look up so he wouldn't forget them again. By the time Shelley got home from school, he had filled out three pages worth of words he had looked up in his sloppy, barely legible writing, front and back.<p>

"Hey!"Shelley called, making him jump in surprise, "Just let me put my stuff away and I'll be right back."

"Okay...,"he replied, dazed. He watched her run up the stairs, her pink backpack bouncing lightly against her hip as she ran. He felt his heart rate increase, like he was already anticipating her return. His hands felt sweaty, and his stomach was in knots. He fussed with the collar on his shirt, panicking when he heard her footsteps behind him, coming back down the stairs.

"Hey!"she said, taking a seat next to him on the couch, "Ready?"

He nodded nervously, looking down at his hands.

"Did you want to chill a while before we start? I mean...you've probably been at this all day. And you usually get up earlier than I do." He stared wide-eyed at her, trying to figure out if she was kidding or if she seriously expected him to know what she just said when she talked that fast.

"...Chill?"he asked finally, tilting his head to the side in a questioning manner.

"Oh, sorry. It's like slang. It means take a break." He nodded, confused. He didn't want to annoy her, but he didn't understand what slang was, either.

"EH...no, tank you,"he said, not really knowing what he was saying no to.

"You sure? It's cool, I don't mind." Edgar shook his head, his head spinning. Shelley spoke a completely different language. She talked much faster than Mrs. Parker, and she used weird words like 'chill' and 'cool.' He realized then that because Mrs. Parker had been talking slow for him, he had probably been talking at the same slow speed too. If he wanted to talk at regular speeds and speak like people his age spoke, he needed to practice with Shelley.

"Okay, so I found my old grammar book from middle school, and I barely used it, so I thought you could borrow it. So let's start with plurals and possessive nouns, because your S's kind of suck...no offense. You _are_ understanding me, right?"

He nodded without comment, not knowing how to ask otherwise. He took the book that she handed to him, trying as hard as he could to keep up with her, even though he had no idea what "suck" or "grammar" or "middle school" or "plurals and possessive nouns" meant. His head hurt already, but he kept his mouth shut. He wanted to impress her, and he knew he should be grateful she agreed to help him in the first place.

After only half an hour, though, he didn't know how much more he could take. She wouldn't stop. She kept filling foreign words into his mind like "plural possessive" and "subject-verb agreement" and "prepositional phrase". He tried as hard as he could to follow and simply prayed that she would keep talking and not ask him to repeat any of the things she was telling him. He could feel tears of overwhelming self-loathing and frustration burning behind his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. He _would_ impress her.

"So if you think there's a subject, but it's in a prepositional phrase, you know it's not the subject of the sentence. Get it?"she asked, turning to him.

"...I... stiw confuse,"he answered weakly.

"I'm,"she corrected, "Remember? It's a conjunction. It's like I and am together"

He nodded absently. He had no idea what a conjunction was.

"Hey, how are you two doing in here?"Mrs. Parker asked as she poked her head in the room.

"Good!"Shelley replied cheerfully. Edgar just sat there, staring at the book, as if the answers were just going to reveal themselves if he just stared at it long enough.

"Edgar?"she asked, waiting for his response, "How are you doing?" Even without responding, Mrs. Parker must have been able to sense his distress.

"Why don't you guys stop for a while?"she suggested, "Edgar hasn't had a break all day." Edgar looked down, not wanting to admit that he was mentally exhausted in fear of looking weak to Shelley.

"Oh, okay. Geez, you should have said something,"Shelley chided, standing, "I'll come back when I finish my math homework. How about that?" He breathed in a sigh of relief, suddenly extremely grateful to Mrs. Parker. He didn't know how much longer he could hold in his tears.

"...Edgar, how are you doing?"she asked gently, placing her hand on his shoulder once Shelley was out of earshot. He shook his head, knowing that if he made words come out, he would lose it.

"Sweetheart? Are you okay?"she asked softly, kneeling down next to him. When she could see his face she stopped, a look of understanding passing over her face. Despite his greatest efforts to hold back his tears, he felt one lone tear escape its confines.

"...I stupid...,"he mumbled, quickly wiping away the tear, embarrassed.

"Edgar, dear, what's wrong?" asked, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"...No...unduhstan..." He stopped, so frustrated with himself that he didn't even want to make the effort to find the word in his limited vocabulary to describe the hell that Shelley was putting him. He felt powerless. He felt like he was forgetting all the words he had worked so hard to learn already. How did he describe what he was feeling? How was it possible that these people were able to use so many words and specific sounds to make conversation? How did they know it all?

"Edgar, you will. It just takes time and patience,"she said softly, trying to comfort him.

"No... talk... good...,"he mumbled, "Selley...no...like me."

"Was she too hard on you?"she asked softly. He didn't understand what she had asked him. He had stopped trying to understand what anybody what was saying.

"Sweetheart, it's okay to be confused,"she consoled, "Learning a different language is very hard. You're doing very well, dear. Just don't upset yourself. Shelley likes you very much. And besides, it takes most people years to make the progress that you're making. Remember, just a little over a week ago you were struggling to say hello. Look at you know, dear. You've improved so much more than anybody could have hoped for, and we are so, so proud of you." She gently patted his shoulder, and steadily he began to feel better.

"Why don't you relax for a while?" He nodded absently, knowing that was not what he wanted to do at all. He left the room in silence, his head hurting and his heart feeling like it had been ripped out of his chest. It didn't matter what Mrs. Parker said. The only reason he had sought out her help was to make her like him, and he had failed. She would never like him now.

Meredtih waited until Edgar had left the room to go find Shelley in her room. She knocked on the door and opened it, finding her daughter sitting on her bed, a textbook and notebook paper in her lap.

"Hey, Mom. What's up?"she asked, barely looking up from her textbook.

"Shelley, we need to talk,"Mrs. Parker began, closing the door behind her and sitting at the edge of the bed, "Shelley, I'm very glad that you're finally reaching out to Edgar and trying to help him, but you can't put him down like you have been." Sheley stared at her quizzically, not comprehending.

"What do you mean? I wasn't putting him down. I was just helping him out like you wanted me to."

"Shelley, you treat him like an animal. You call him names, you ignore him when he tries to talk to you, and you're rude to him because you assume he doesn't understand you."

"Well he doesn't understand me. He doesn't know anything except how to repeat the words that you say,"she replied.

"Shelley, Edgar understands you more than you think he does! In fact, he told me just a minute ago that he felt "stupid". Does that sound familiar, Shelley? Because I think we both know I would never even teach Edgar that word."

"...I don't know. Maybe he read it in a book somewhere,"she mumbled, suddenly dropping her eyes.

"He learned it from _you_, Shelley. He's trying so hard to be like us and communicate. He needs to be shown that his efforts are being rewarded, and we should be doing that by giving him positive reinforcement, not ignoring him and making him feel stupid and inferior."

"What do you mean? I don't do that."

"Then why is he downstairs crying?"she asked, throwing her arm in the door's direction, "Shelley, you hurt his feelings. You made him feel stupid by expecting him to know grammar principles when he hasn't even learned the language. You are only capable of learning that sort of material because you know the language and you can read fluently. Edgar can't, Shelley. That wasn't fair of you to do that to him. He needs to build confidence first, and if you give him material he cannot understand, he never will have the confidence to do anything because he won't believe he's capable. Do you understand, Shelley?" Shelley stared at her mother for a moment, feeling a pang of guilt attack her.

"I didn't do it on purpose,"she mumbled pathetically, looking down at her hands.

"I know you didn't. But I want you to go downstairs and apologize to him, anyway,"she continued, "He's trying so hard to impress you, especially, Shelley. He's not as stupid as you think he is. He's very aware that you, more than anyone in our family, don't like him."

"I-I like him. I just think he can be kind of annoying sometimes...,"she mumbled.

"That's not his problem, Shelley. That's yours. He doesn't know any other way to act. I don't care what Rick's been putting in your head,"she replied, catching her daughter's gaze as she stood, "Edgar has feelings too. I don't want you going to Rick's house until you go apologize to Edgar." She left Shelley alone in her room to think about what her mother had said. Shelley stared down at her hands, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her. She tried not to think about Edgar crying downstairs, but the image seemed to haunt her, filling her mind until it was all she could think about. She thought about the look on his face yesterday when he told her he had never had a friend before. She had initially seen his expression of complete innocent naivety and ignorance as simply another justification for why he was just her mother's stupid, brainless guinea pig. She had never really taken Edgar seriously before. After all, she had only offered to help him so her mother would stop pestering her about not ever contributing to his learning. Her father brought home so many animals so frequently, she had just assumed he was another one of his pets. Even when her mother explained to her that she would be taking in the boy, it had never occurred to her that maybe this one wasn't temporary. She had stopped trying to bond with her father's temporary pets because she knew, in the long run, the animal would die. But Edgar was different. Edgar wasn't just a pet. Maybe she had been a little hard on him, after all...

Shelley pushed the book off her lap and stared down at her hands. She felt particularly bothered by what her mother had said about Rick. At first her initial response was defensive - after all, he was her boyfriend. But even she knew, deep down, her mother was right. Maybe part of the reason she had hated Edgar so much was because she felt like if she didn't hate along him with Rick, he wouldn't like her as much. The only reason he had stopped being mad at her in the first place, after all, was because she had lied and told Rick she hated the boy just as much as his family did...

Heaving in a deep breath, Shelley swung her legs around the mattress and stood up on her feet. Her heart felt heavy in her chest as she opened the door and went downstairs.

She found him easily enough. He was crouched behind the doorway, with his arms wrapped around his knees.

"Hey,"Shelley said, poking her head out from behind the door and making him jump in surprise, "What are you doing hiding back here?" He quickly wiped his eyes, breathing in deeply to steady himself and hurriedly shaking his head to avoid having to answer. He felt stupid enough as it was for having been caught like this. He tried to stand back up, but he moved too fast and lost his balance, falling down and landing on his back, right in front of her.

"Are you okay?"she asked, helping him up as his cheeks flamed red with embarrassment. He nodded in response, not looking at her.

"Are you sure?"she asked, noticing his tear-stained cheeks.

Another nod, noticeably less sincere this time.

"My mom came and talked to me. She said I was being really unfair to you, expecting you to know all that stuff I was talking about when you were still just learning to speak. I'm really sorry. I don't know how my mom teaches you. I just did what I learned in school." He wouldn't look at her.

"I sowey..."

"No, no, I should be the one apologizing. I shouldn't have been so hard on you. You're crazy smart. You're like, Einstein smart. I still can't believe your talking after only like a week and a half." He had no idea who Einstein was, but from the tone of her voice, he deduced it to be a compliment.

"I..." He stopped, unsure how to make this sentence. Looking embarrassed and frustrated, he tried again, "...It...hard...wit you."

"...Why?"she asked. He turned a bright shade of pink, angry at himself that he had said anything now.

"I..." He looked like he was about to cry again, he was so frustrated.

"It's okay, take your time,"Shelley said reassuringly, sensing his distress and feeling her stomach church with guilt as she watched him struggle. Before, she had taken his silence as a sign of stupidity. Now she could see that the only reason he rarely ever talked was because it took so much effort for him to think of complete sentences.

"Um...wait,"he said softly, racking his memory for some trace of a word to describe why it was he shook so uncontrollably when he was around her, but not Meredith, or why he fumbled over his words and seemed so nervous in her presence.

"I-I want...you... like me,"he finally said, looking up at her, "But...you sink I stupid. Now... I scare...talk... wong... and no like me." Shelley stared at him, trying to make sense of this.

"...I don't think you're stupid,"she finally said.

"But... I hear you." Shelley stared at him, perplexed.

"When did you hear me say that?"she asked. He hesitated a long time, trying to collect a coherent, presentable train of thought.

"Evey day...I hear you,"he said slowly, "I know stupid mean...and I know... ugwie, and fweak... all word you say to me..."

"Edgar, I didn't...I mean...Crap. I didn't know you could understand me,"she said quickly, looking panicked now. He shook his head slowly, not looking at her anymore.

"It okay. You wight. I stupid..."

"No you're not,"she countered, feeling her heart break in pity as she realized the reality of the situation, "Edgar, look. I wasn't thinking when I said that. I didn't think you could understand me then. That was before you changed so much." He stared at her, a strange expression passing over his face.

"...But I... no change, Selley,"he said softly, looking right at her now, "I same. Oney... I talk."

"Well, I mean...you were more like an animal then,"she explained hurredly.

"...Animal...has feeling too,"he answered softly. Shelley looked down at her feet, realizing he was absolutely right. It was she who had refused to acknowledge that he was a person before he came under their wing. He had been a person with feelings and all the same capabilities of being hurt as she did before he learned to talk, and she had ignored that.

"...I'm sorry,"she whispered after a long period of silence, barely lifting her head, "Wow. I'm really, _really_ sorry."

"...I stiw...stupid?"he asked softly, fearfully, as if he was afraid of her answer.

"No, of course not,"she answerd immediately, shaking her head, "You're really, really smart. And I'm not just saying that. I just...I don't know what I was thinking. I was being a jerk."

"But stiw...ugwey,"he said, "No like you... You... bootiful..." He didn't seem to know how to put the rest of his thought into words, but Shelley understood him, regardless. She stared at him, heat rushing to her cheeks.

"You think I'm beautiful?"she finally asked, looking down shyly. He nodded with a small smile.

"Well, geez, you're kind of making me feel like even more of a loser,"she laughed nervously, glancing up at him, "That's really nice of you to say. I'm really sorry, Edgar. Can you forgive me?"

"Wha'...forgive mean?"he asked.

"...Well, I guess it means that you understand that the person is really sorry and that you acknowledge that and say it's okay,"she replied. He stared at her, even more confused.

"It's what you do after someone says sorry,"she tried again, smiling weakly, "And I just said sorry."

"Oh...um...what I say?"he asked.

"You say 'I forgive you. I mean, that is, if you actually do,'" she responded, laughing, "My mom never taught you this?" He shook his head.

"...Okay, well...get used to it now so you can use it later,"she instructed awkwardly. He nodded.

"I fo-give you, S-Shelley,"he replied. She smiled at him, slowly raising her eyes so that they were finally looking at each other, both smiling.

"Hey, you pronounced my name right,"she said.

"Weally?"he asked excitedly, his whole face lighting up.

"Yeah, you did. Shelley,"she said, smiling.

"S...Sh...Shelley,"he tried.

"You did it!"she exclaimed, "Good job." He beamed, ears perking up.

"Edgar...how about we start over?"Shelley asked softly, "Start on a clean slate? I know I treated you badly before, but...let's be friends now. For real this time." He smiled even wider, barely believing what she was saying. He nodded so enthusiastically she couldn't help but laugh.

"Here." She held out her hand expectantly. He stared at her, confused.

"It's a handshake,"she explained with a light laugh when she realized he didn't know what to do.

"I...can...touch?"

"Well, duh."

"What 'duh' mean?"he asked. To his surprise she laughed, but not in a cruel way.

"It just means yes,"she laughed.

"Oh, okay,"he replied, turning pink, "But...you say...no touch."

"It's okay, that was before. I was just being rude,"she said, again feeling guilty when she realized just how much he had understood when she didn't think he could, "It's just a handshake."

"...Okay,"he said breathlessly. He slowly lifted his arm and looked up for further instruction. She smiled, reached out and took him by the hand, shaking it.

They let their arms fall, and that was it. Shelley smiled shyly, making his heart flutter unexpectedly. He felt sweaty and jiittery all of a sudden. What was this feeling?

"Well...I guess it's kind of pointless to continue when it's pretty obvious I'm a pretty bad teacher,"she said, laughing a little bit, "My mom obviously does a way better job than I do. Want to go back and get her?" He nodded, following her out of the kitchen.

"Tank you, Shelley,"he said softly, smiling sincerely at her. She smiled back, suddenly realizing that, if you ignored his teeth, he actually had a sweet smile.

"You're welcome,"she mumbled, looking down. When she looked back up at him, he was staring at her the way she had often seen him looking at her. She didn't find it annoying or creepy anymore, though. She knew now he was only looking at her in admiration. The thought made her feel empowered. No one had ever looked up to her before, and she realized she kind of liked the feeling of being looked up to.

And just like that, Shelley and Edgar became friends.

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><p>AN: Next week...I'm kind of torn. Dr. Parker could be next, but if I wanted to go chronologically(which I do), just about anybody could be next. I'm definitely not going in a straight rotation, and soon it won't be week by week - more like every 4-5 days. If Dr. Parker does go next, the next two chapters will be his only two chapters...which might be kind of sad. :( I don't know. Either Meredith again or Dr. Parker. I will surprise you!<p> 


	6. Week 3:Visitors

AN: I HATED writing this chapter. This was probably the only chapter that wasn't already at least partially pre-written. I do not enjoy writing about Dr. Parker. -_- Oh well...um...thanks Glass Prism, for being my only reader, haha. Hopefully someone one day will happen to come across this lonely Bat Boy fandom and maybe read something. I really hate these next two chapters...they feel rushed - because they are rushed - and maybe I'm being paranoid, but they seem to say "Wow she really just wanted to get through these chapters and move on." Well...I did just want to get through them and move on. And I did! Mwahaha! Enjoy the delicious angst of Dr. Parker!

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><p>Week 3: Visitors<p>

Thomas came home one night from work distraught, distressed, and just a little bit drunk. He plodded through the front door and shuffled inside, rubbing his temples with one hand and carrying Edgar's dinner with the other - hidden inside a brown paper bag. He opened the living room door and peered inside, seeing Meredith and Edgar sitting face to face on the couch with a workbook between them, as usual. He watched them from a corner of the room for a while, unnoticed, then silently went to his study to put his things down.

When he came out, Meredith hadn't moved from the couch. He hovered in the room for a while, waiting for her to notice him, but she seemed too preoccupied to be aware of his presence.

"Meredith,"he called out, hoping to get her attention.

"One minute, dear,"she said, waving her hand in his direction. He felt deserted, and a little bit annoyed. He had held high hopes that he would be welcomed back home from a long day of work with smiles and hugs, but nobody seemed to care about him. He debated going up to Shelley's room and seeing what she was doing, but he could feel the effects of the alcohol weighing him down, and as naive as his daughter could be sometimes, there was always the slight chance even she would notice. Like Meredith, he knew how to hide his problems so Shelley could remain ignorant of her family's hidden secrets.

He went into the kitchen and rumaged for a snack, trying to fill the silence by finding something productive to do.

"Don't eat, dear, I'm making dinner soon,"Meredith called out to him, having heard the creak of the refridgerator door open. So she had noticed him. Thomas didn't say anything, just closed the door and stood there tiredly. Before she had taken the boy in, Meredith would always have dinner waiting for him when he came home. Now it was as if she had become ignorant of time and let his arrival from work be the alarm that told her she had other responsibilities. Of course, it wasn't the boy's fault, but it was at times like these where he couldn't help feeling a little resentful.

Thomas turned around and opened a cabinet, looking for a tylenol to relieve his headache. When he opened it, though, he couldn't seem to find any.

"Meredith, do we have any pain medication?" Meredith finally seemed to have finished explaining whatever it was she was teaching the boy by now. She came into the kitchen to see what was wrong.

"No, I think Shelley took the last one this morning. She said she was having stomach pains." Thomas closed the cupboard dejectedly, sighing heavily.

"Do you want me to go get some?"she asked.

"It's all right,"he muttered, trying to drop the subject before she asked why he needed it.

"No, it's alright. I need to get some groceries anyway." Thomas nodded stiffly, wondering inwardly why she couldn't have done the errand earlier. Meredith went back to get her car keys, calling Shelley from her room as she moved toward the door.

"Shelley, I'm going to the store. Do you need anything?"she asked when her daughter appeared on the staircase.

"Yeah, actually, my teacher wanted us to get this special paper for a project we're doing next week. There's lines on it - but not like symmetrical lines - and the packaging looks kind of like"-

"Why don't you just come with me?"Meredith interrupted.

"Okay!"

"Thomas, you don't mind watching Edgar for a little bit, do you?"she called as Shelley ran down the stairs, shoes in hand.

"No, of course not,"he called out. _" Do I have a choice?"_he thought even as he said it.

"Wonderful. We'll be back soon. Be good for Dr. Parker, Edgar!" Edgar looked back at Mrs. Parker and Shelley just as they shut the door, a sad and longing look on his face. For a moment Dr. Parker's annoyances for the boy ebbed away. He too, had been abandoned.

"Well...Edgar...I suppose you at least can have your dinner,"he sighed. Edgar's ears perked up when he heard this. Quietly he followed Dr. Parker back into the kitchen, where he had left the brown paper bag. He handed the boy the bag without looking at him, then grabbed a banana from the counter and went back in the living room to watch tv. Edgar, however, didn't move.

"Um...Dr. Parker?"he asked timidly, approaching him as he eased onto the sofa.

"What is it, Edgar?"

"Um...today...Mrs. Parker help me read from Bible...,"he began, clutching the bag close to his chest as he looked down at his feet, "And...she showed-ed me the Ten Commandment. And I read that...that it bad to kill." He looked up when he said this, tentatively meeting Dr. Parker's confused stare. "I just wondering...is it...bad to kill animal?" Thomas hesitated, meeting the boy's worried gaze as he clutched the bag to him, as if scared of it being taken from him and at the same time, scared that Thomas would tell him he had to keep it.

"It's hard to say, Edgar. I suppose God wouldn't have created predators only to damn them. Certainly if it's a matter of survival, it can't be considered a sin." Edgar seemed to relax when he heard this.

"Do make you sad?"he asked, softly.

"Pardon?"

"Mrs. Parker say...veterinarian spend all time for taking care of animal,"he said, barely looking at him. He didn't seem to know how to elaborate on his thought, but Thomas understood him, none the less. Thomas was quiet for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"No. Most of the animals I find for you are strays. Half of them would have died anyway. So no, it doesn't make me sad." Edgar looked like he wanted to say more, but he just nodded, thanked him, and left the room. Thomas turned back around on the sofa, thinking about what Edgar had asked him, and how far he had come. It seemed as if the issue had been bugging the boy for a long time. Maybe he should talk to Meredith about it...

He didn't have time to finish his thought before the phone suddenly rang. He heaved himself off the sofa, sighing heavily as he picked up the nearest phone.

"Hello?"he asked.

"Dr. Parker! This is Sheriff Reynolds!"the voice on the other line said.

"Well, hello, Sheriff, how are you?"

"Fine, fine. How's everything with the...uh..."

"Edgar? You wouldn't recognize him."

"Who?"he asked, confused now.

"The bat boy,"he replied, turning and looking around for Edgar, who had disappeared to his usual spot in the bathroom to eat his dinner.

"Edgar, now is he? Well you're keeping him out of trouble, I presume?"

"He's perfectly fine, Sheriff. In fact, he's better than fine. Like I said, you wouldn't recognize him. Meredith has completely transformed him."

"Is that so?...Well, I was in the neighborhood..."

"Oh well, come on over, if you're not too busy. You just missed Meredith and Shelley, but Edgar and I are home."

"Well if it's not inconvenient for you, I was meaning to come and check on the boy and talk to you a bit..."

"Not inconvenient at all."

"Alrighty then. See you soon." They hung up, and Dr. Parker went to go look for Edgar, who was eating in the bathroom. He had instructed Edgar to use this spot to eat because the family rarely used it, and the tile floor made any messes easy to clean up - easy, that was, to hide evidence.

"Edgar, when you're finished, come out! The sheriff is paying a visit soon!"he called out to the closed door. Edgar didn't know what a sheriff was, but he knew that it wasn't Meredith or Shelley, and that was explanation enough for him.

Ten minutes later, Thomas heard a knock on the door, and he hurried to answer it. Of all days for Meredith to be out, he thought to himself...

"Evening, Sheriff. Come on in,"he welcomed as he stepped back to let him inside. Edgar seemed to come out of the bathroom just as the sheriff walked in. Thomas held his breath as Edgar came into the room, then steadily released it when he saw no traces of blood on his face or clothes. The sheriff started when he saw Edgar come in.

"He can walk now?"he asked incredulously, looking at Thomas, not Edgar.

"I told you you wouldn't recognize him,"he said, coming over to Edgar and gently placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"And...out of the cage,"he continued worriedly, eyeing him down.

"I had my concerns at first as well, but he's very tame."

"Now, Edgar, remember how Meredith taught you how to politely introduce yourself?"he whispered to Edgar, "You're going to do the same thing now. Go introduce yourself." Edgar nodded slowly, shyly glancing up at the sheriff as he slowly stepped forward.

"Um...hello. My name is Edgar. It's very nice to meet you,"he said robotically, trying to maintain eye contact like Mrs. Parker had shown him, but finding it hard to not make a face when the sheriff suddenly broke out into a huge smile. Was he laughing at him? Had he done something wrong?

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Edgar,"he laughed, taking his outstretched, which made Edgar literally flinch in surprise, only because he had never actually done this before, "My name is Sheriff Reynolds."

"Edgar, this is the man who brought you here to us,"Thomas explained to him. At this, a note of recognition struck Edgar.

"Oh!"he blurted out without thinking, then quickly shrunk back in his shell.

"I still can't believe Meredith has him speaking already,"the sheriff said, shaking his head in wonder, "How long's it been? Three weeks?"

"Yes, he definitely surprised us all."

"It's only a shame we didn't find him sooner, with that talent,"he continued, making Edgar feel self-conscious as he stared at him, "That's incredible. Genius, I'd say." Thomas nodded in agreement.

"Would you...like to sit down, Sheriff?"Dr. Parker asked, moving toward the couch.

"Sure, sure..."

"Edgar, you can go,"he said, turning to Edgar.

"Oh, let the boy stay, he's no trouble,"the sheriff insisted, "As long as he's safe." Thinking it was better not to rebute the chief authority, he motioned for Edgar to follow. Edgar seemed a little hesitant, having never met another person outside of the Parker home. He wasn't sure what to make of the stares, the look of wonder, as if he were admiring a piece of art instead of a person.

"So, Dr. Parker, how's the cow cure investigation goin'?"he asked, sitting back on the sofa. He was looking at Thomas, but he watched Edgar out of the corner of his eye. The boy was clearly out of place. From the moment he had seen him, he had been awed by his change, but now that the initial shock had warn off, he could see that there still were some signs of his inner animal. He had very strange mannerisms, and everything human he tried to do came out so unnatural. He wasn't what anyone would call a monster, but it was certainly a huge improvement.

"Still searching, I'm afraid,"Thomas replied, breaking him away from his thoughts, "The ranchers have me down there everyday to inspect a new dead cow. I don't know what to tell them anymore. I insist that it's simply their bad choice of location, but they won't listen to me."

"So you don't think it's a plague, like everybody else is sayin'?"he asked seriously.

"If it was a plague, I would have heard about it affecting other towns,"he said, "Not that I'm complaining, but it just seems downright silly to pay a veterinarian to come every day to tell them their cows need more food."

"Well...you know...a couple of people round town have been thinking maybe..._he_ had something to do with it,"he said, turning his head toward Edgar while his head was down.

"What, Edgar? That's ridiculous, he stays inside all day. Don't you, Edgar?"Thomas asked, turning to Edgar. He nodded slightly to confirm.

"Except when I go outside, though,"he said. Thomas stared at the boy, not quite comprehending what he had just said. The sheriff leaned in a little closer, a worried expression on his face.

"What do you mean, when you go outside?"Thomas asked.

"Mrs. Parker let me play outside,"he said matter-of-factly. Thomas could feel the sheriff's accusing glare on him as he continued to stare at the boy.

"Where does she take you outside?"he asked, his voice no longer the soft, gentle tone he had grown accustomed to using with the boy. Apparently the fact that the boy was being let outside was new news to him.

"In backyard...,"he replied, sensing Thomas' growing anger and cowering under it. He knew that look. It was the same look Shelley would give him before they became friends.

"Edgar, have you ever gone out any place besides the backyard?"the sheriff asked seriously. Edgar shook his head.

"Do you mind if I see the backyard?"the sheriff asked Thomas, standing.

"No, not at all, go ahead,"he replied hurredly, following the sheriff to the backdoor slowly, his feet feeling like lead. Meredith had been letting the boy out without his permission, when he had clearly told her that it was unacceptable to let the boy out of the house. She had broken her word, and he had never known. Instead of anger or resentment, as he expected, he felt hurt, betrayed.

As Dr. Parker opened the back door for the sheriff, Edgar obediently followed, until Dr. Parker forced him back.

"Oh no you don't. Stay right here,"he snapped at the boy. The look he gave Edgar was enough. He cowered back and stayed completely silent.

Sheriff Reynolds was standing on the back porch, shining his flashlight on all sides. When he saw that they had a fence enclosed on all sides, he turned off his flashlight and turned to Dr. Parker.

"I'm so sorry, Sheriff, I had no idea, "Thomas tried to explain.

"It's quite alright, Dr. Parker. I'm just trying to do my job. I will have to talk to Meredith and make sure the boy has been properly supervised,"he explained, then seeing the look on Dr. Parker's face, continued, "I know you fellas didn't mean nothin', but I just can't be too sure, y' know? The town's gone just about mad trying to find a solution to this cow epidemic, and I can't just rule out a potential possibility. I don't _actually_ think the boy did anythin', but I just don't know what to think anymore." He cast a warry glance at Edgar, who was staying obediently in his spot, not speaking.

"When did you say they'd be headin' home?"the sheriff asked, turning back to Dr. Parker.

"They should be home any minute..."

"Dr. Parker?"Edgar asked suddenly.

"What, Edgar?"

"Did I...do something wrong?"he asked timidly, looking from Dr. Parker to the sheriff.

"You've never gone outside anywhere but the backyard, have you, is that correct, son?"the sheriff asked.

"No..." Suddenly Edgar's ears perked up as he heard the front door open.

"They back,"he announced.

"What? I didn't hear anyth"-

"We're home!"Meredith called, interrupting him. Thomas quickly pushed past the the boy and went to meet Meredith in the living room, the sheriff following behind him.

"Oh, evening, Sheriff. I saw your car parked in the driveway. Is...something wrong?"she asked unsurely, looking anxiously between Thomas and Sheriff Reynolds. Shelley stood quietly in the doorway, watching from a distance.

"No, no, I was just stopping by. But, uh...now that you mention it..."

"Meredith, Edgar here tells me that you've been letting him outside everyday." Meredith didn't miss a beat.

"Well, in the backyard, yes."

"Meredith, this is important. Now, I don't mind letting the boy have a little fresh air, but the cattle ranchers would have my head if they knew he was roaming freely. You watch him carefully when he's let out, right?"

"Oh, of course,"she said, nodding, "He doesn't leave my sight for a second." The sheriff looked relieved to hear this. Thomas however, still looked angry.

"Well then, as long as you're keeping track of him, I don't see a problem here. Just make sure he's not let anywhere near other people,"the sheriff said, smiling, "Anyway, just wanted to check on you folks, make sure everything's A-okay. I better get back to my rounds..."

"Thank you so much, sheriff,"Meredith said politely, "It's wonderful to see you again. Stay for dinner anytime..." She led him to the door and Thomas quietly followed, making small talk for a while. Thomas could feel his head spin with a strange mix of emotions.

When the sheriff finally left and the door shut behind him, Thomas turned on Meredith.

"When were you going to tell me you were letting him outside?"he demanded.

"I didn't think you'd mind,"she said, shrugging.

"Meredith, I told you specifically that I didn't want him brought outside at all, under any supervision!"

"You're making way too big of a deal out of this, Thomas,"she said, walking past him.

"Don't walk away from me, Meredith! Do you know how much you humiliated me? And in front of the sheriff, no less!"

"Thomas, I'm sorry if I hurt your delicate feelings,"she said a little mockingly, "Edgar has needs too, though." Thomas stared at her, barely believing what she had said. He felt an uncontrollable rage burning inside him, and he suspected part of it had to do with the alcohol. He seemed ready to blow when Shelley suddenly appeared, and he was forced to keep silent.

"Mom, can I go over to Rick's?"she asked.

"For how long?"

"I dunno. An hour or two,"she said, shrugging, then quickly added for her benefit, "I finished my homework."

"...Alright,"she conceded, "Be back by nine."

"Kay,"she called behind her. Meredith left the room without saying another word to Thomas. He did nothing but stand there, feeling his blood boil with feelings he didn't want to feel toward his wife. Maybe he wouldn't feel this way if it wasn't the first time she had done this. In fact, she had disregarded him quite a few times before in the past. Only then, she had blamed it on Shelley's needs. Now she was using Edgar as a buffer, a boy who was not his, who he did not love and could not, no matter how amazed and proud he was of his progress. Regardless of all this, he could not put the boy before himself. He did not hold any sense of parental love for the boy like he did for Shelley. Meredith could embarass him to defend Shelley's wants and needs all she liked; he loved his daughter with all his heart and he wanted her to be happy. But Edgar was not his son, and he never would be.

Thomas slowly made his way back to the living room, his head now throbbing furiously. Meredith was talking to the boy, talking to him in a way she never did with Thomas. He watched them for a while, feeling his heart ache. He quickly shook it off. He was only feeling like this because of the alcohol...that had to be it. Tomorrow he would wake up, feel better, and everything would be fine. He was being over sensitive.

He made his way into the kitchen, opening the grocery bag that was left on the counter. He found the tylenol he had wanted in the bag, popped two into his mouth, and went to bed. Sleep offered relief from his troubled emotions, and a promise of a new day...

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><p>AN: I look forward to these author's notes. No, I don't actually have anything to say, I just like talking, haha. Click the little review button down there! Come on people, you know you want to! :)<p> 


	7. Week 3:Jealousy

Week 3: Jealousy

"Hey, are you coming over later?"Rick asked.

"I have a lot of homework,"Shelley responded without looking at him.

"You say that everyday. What's the difference if you just do it at my house?"he demanded. They stopped walking once they reached the Parker's house. Rick had started walking Shelley all the way home now, knowing she wouldn't follow him to his house anymore. He resented it, and he let her know everyday.

"I dunno...it's just kind of tradition now for me to help Edgar after school."

"The bat boy? Shell, I thought that was for like one day,"he complained.

"Well, he says I teach some stuff better than my mom does..."

"What are you doing wasting your time with that freak when there are more important things to do?"he asked, looking accusingly at her.

"Like hanging out with you?"she asked, giving him a teasing look.

"Well, yeah, actually,"he said, as if this was obvious, "You _are_ my girlfriend."

"Look, I'll come over later if I have the time,"she said quickly.

"I don't get it, Shelley. What do you see in that thing?"

"He's not a thing, Rick. His name is Edgar, and he's really nice,"she said without thinking.

"You act like he's your friend now or something,"he mused aloud, looking suspiciously at her. Shelley didn't say anything for a while. She felt her voice rise up inside her, ready to tell him the truth, to take a chance and see what would happen. But instead fear gripped her, and she found herself putting on her best fake smile and turning back to him.

"Please, Rick, don't make me laugh. He's just another one of my dad's expirements,"she said, letting the lie fall from her lips like lead. He looked reassured when she said this.

"Alright, well, come over later,"he told her.

"I will,"she said, turning, "See you!"

"Hey!"he called, grabbing her by the wrist and yanking her back toward him, "Kiss me goodbye." She smiled apologetically and gently reached up to kiss him. He could feel her begin to pull away when he suddenly grabbed her by the waist and forcefully pressed her mouth against his. She slowly got into it and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. Unknown to Shelley, Edgar had appeared at the living room window, having heard her voice from outside. He frowned when he saw them hugging each other that tightly, their faces glued to each others. What were they doing?

Rick finally released her, smiling triumphedly as they stared at each other for a moment. Shelley's face was flushed, and her heart beat rapidly with excitement.

"What was that for?"she asked.

"Just because,"he said with a smoldering smile. Shelley felt her breath catch in her throat. This was one of the many reasons so many girls fell for Rick Taylor. Flashing one last smile, she kissed him goodbye one last time and turned back toward the direction of her house.

She slipped through the front door as quietly as she could. This was a game she and Edgar always played: she would try and come home as quietly as she possibly could and wait to see if he had heard her come in. Whether her mother had figured it out already or not, Edgar clearly had heightened senses that allowed him to see and hear more acutely than anyone she knew. If he beat her there, which he usually did, he would stand in the hallway expectantly, beaming brightly because he was so excited to see her. She didn't know what it was about her that was so great, but she always looked forward everyday to seeing him waiting for her, as if he had been waiting all day for her to come home. And when she finally did, he would look shyly down at his hands and quietly ask in a small voice if she could help him with something. There was always a little hesitation in his eyes, as if he were really scared that, even though she had been doing this every day for a week now, that one day she would say no.

Sure enough, he appeared in the entryway, but immediately Shelley could sense there was something wrong. She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Still, she didn't say anything.

"You're late,"she teased, "What happened to your super-awesome-supersonic hearing, Mr. Clark Kent?"

"Who?"he asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Superman?"she asked, laughing at his puzzled expression. "So what are we doing today?" He raised his eyes a little, looking a little happier.

"Mrs. Parker teach me table manners,"he answered, leading her back into the living room, where Meredith had laid out a dinner tray, complete with dishes and silverware. Shelley didn't see why he would ever use this, since he never ate dinner with them, but she sat on the floor and joined them anyway.

They spent the whole day together like that, just the three of them. A couple hours later, Meredith let Edgar go outside under Shelley's supervision. She watched from the kitchen window as Shelley excitedly showed every thing that hadn't already been explained to him, pulling him along and eagerly showing him the tiny world of the backyard.

When Thomas got home from work, they were still outside together. He looked out the window and saw that they were playing tag, laughing loudly and chasing each other around the yard.

"Meredith, how long has he been out there?"Thomas asked, turning to his wife.

"About an hour. Maybe two,"she replied casually, "He loves it out there."

"I really don't think we should be exposing him like this, Meredith,"he said, looking out the window nervously, "Especially for this long..."

"They're just having fun."

"What if the neighbors see him?"

"Then they'll see him,"she said, shrugging, "Besides, I think it's good for Edgar to play around a bit. Heaven knows he needs sun, he's so pale." Thomas stared at Meredith disbelievingly, wanting to say something about the way she had been treating him lately, or about her lack of concern for his opinion. All she seemed to care about was what was best for the boy. But instead, he kept his mouth shut and let the disappointment he felt for having hoped today would be different slam him down.

When dinner was ready, Meredith called them both inside. They stumbled in, flushed, a little sweaty, but laughing and smiling all the same.

"Mom, can we have a family night like we used to?"she asked when she had sat down at the table and Dr. Parker had thrust the brown paper bag into Edgar's chest, "You know...play a board game or watch a movie?" Meredith glanced up at Thomas and smiled.

"What happened to going over to Rick's?"she asked innocently.

"Oh yeah, right...well, I can hang out with Rick anytime. I've been over every night this week, he'll understand. Besides, it'll be fun for Edgar."

"I think that would be a wonderful idea,"she said, trying to hide her smile.

Once dinner was over and Edgar had emerged from the bathroom blood-free, Shelley launched right into the rules for her favorite board game. Edgar had never played any games, but by the sound of it, it sounded almost frustrating. He wondered why people liked to subject themselves to so many rules for fun.

Shelley opened a cupboard Edgar had never looked into before and pulling out a colorful box. "I think you'd be really good at these. They're for brainiacs like you. " She set the game on the living room table and looked up to see Edgar standing there, watching her from a far distance. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to play. Hadn't Shelley called this part of a "family night"?

"What are you standing over there for? Get over here!"she called to him as the other family members assembled around the table. Edgar felt his heart elate a little as he moved to join them. It made him feel like he belonged.

Shelley had to slowly explain the rules to him twice before he said he understood how to play. He lost the first time, but beat both Shelley and Dr. Parker the second time, much to everyone's surprise.

Even though it was a school night, Meredith let Shelley pick out a movie to watch.

"Please let Edgar's first movie be somewhat educational,"she pleaded. Shelley rolled her eyes as she scanned through their measly selection. Edgar simply watched her, having never seen a movie and not knowing what exactly was going on. She had tried to explain to him that movies were like stories that were illustrated on a tv screen, but Edgar didn't understand. She was pulling out thin boxes, not tv screens. How could stories be inside those little boxes?

"Hey, Mom, does Disney count as educational?"Shelley called behind her, "They _are_ classics."

"I guess,"Meredith sighed. Shelley fished for a little while longer, talking to herself under her breath, saying things like "I wonder what boys would be into..." or "Maybe Bambi? Oh wait, the mom dies, Mom may not like him seeing that..." Finally she seemed to come to a decision.

"Mom, how about _Aladdin_?"she called.

"Sometime today, dear." Dr. Parker got up off the couch and moved toward the door.

"I think I'm going to go to the study for a while, then..."

"Thomas, sit and watch the movie,"Meredith insisted.

"We've seen it a hundred times with Shelley. I know the songs by heart, I've watched it so many times with her when she was little."

"This isn't about Shelley, dear, it's about Edgar." Thomas stared at his wife coldly, keeping his mouth shut as his blood boiled with annoyance. He wanted to say what he was thinking, to tell her that the boy wasn't his child, and therefore it wasn't his responsibility to father him, but nothing came out. He wouldn't let it come out.

Grudgingly he went back to the couch, purposely not sitting in his usual seat on the end, so he could sit next to Meredith. She tried not to react to this. Usually Shelley sat between them, but Thomas was determined to force his way into Meredith's view and attention.

"Scoot over, Thomas,"she suddenly said as Edgar approached her.

"Why?"he asked without thinking, knowing he sounded ridiculous, making a big deal over a seat, but at the moment, he didn't care.

"Edgar's sitting here,"Meredith replied dryly.

"He can sit on your other side,"he said, maybe a little too contemptuously.

"Shelley likes the end seat,"she answered bluntly, as if that settled the matter. He was about to say something, but Edgar suddenly appeared, looking confused as he always did, unsure where he belonged and looking as if he still wasn't sure if it was okay that he had been invited to participate in this activity.

"Come sit right here, sweetheart,"Meredith instructed Edgar before Thomas could say anything. Edgar obeyed, and Thomas could feel his annoyance creep up the scale. For some reason, he couldn't seem to bring himself to blame Meredith, though. After all, the boy wouldn't even expect this treatment if Meredith hadn't brainwashed him into believing he was loved and wanted close by all the time.

Shelley popped in the movie and Thomas simply sat there, fuming. He couldn't concentrate on anything the characters were saying. He was watching Meredith the entire time out of the corner of his eye, gently wrapping her arm around the boy's shoulders, holding his hand when he began to get nervous. He watched the boy as he leaned over a little and saw that Shelley had her head rested on her mother's shoulder, growing bored with the all-too familiar images and sounds flashing across the screen. She too, seemed much more entertained by Edgar's reactions. Thomas watched as Edgar pretended to watch the movie for a while, then slowly he shyly laid his head against Meredith's other shoulder. This nearly drove Thomas over the edge. Shelley had always been the one to bring them together: the thing they could share as husband and wife. This boy was throwing everything out of balance. Now Meredith had two children she loved more than him, and one of them wasn't one he could share with her. He didn't want the boy to ever think that he could be shared.

He wanted revenge.

Thomas was barely aware of the movie ending. Shelley seemed close to falling asleep. Meredith gently asked Edgar how he liked the movie. Thomas didn't even hear his answer. Shelley stood up, yawned, wished everyone a goodnight, and tiredly went up the stairs to go to bed. Meredith left the room with Edgar to help him get ready for bed, leaving Thomas alone in the room. He sat there for a little while longer, then slowly got up and went to Edgar's room.

He walked in just as Meredith was leaving. Thomas waited until she had left the room to make his approach. When she was finally gone he turned to the boy, who hadn't even noticed he was there.

"So, Edgar,"he said, startling him into a sitting position, "Did you have fun tonight?" Edgar slowly turned around, surprised to see Dr. Parker in his room. Thomas had never come in to wish him goodnight.

He nodded, offering a weak, confused smile.

"You've come a very long way since you first came here, haven't you?"he asked.

"I... think,"he replied, looking shyly down at his hands. Thomas glared at him and forced a smile back, taking a seat on the edge of the bed where he was sitting. Edgar waited expectantly, not really understanding why he was asking him these questions, but still not saying anything.

"Do you like it here, Edgar?"he asked.

"Oh yes! Very much,"he replied enthusiastically.

"You've gotten quite attached to us...Why, you're practically a member of the family,"he commented, smiling wryly as he turned to the boy, "You must feel pretty indebted to Meredith and I for taking you in like we did."

"I very grateful for...for all you done for me...,"he said slowly.

"As you should be. I mean, not everybody would be willing to take someone like you into their home." Edgar looked down, and Thomas had to hold back a smile as he saw the boy's face contort with hurt.

"Someone...like me?"Edgar asked politely.

"Oh, you know what I mean, Edgar. Uh...someone so...high maintenance."

"What does 'high maintenance' mean?"he asked slowly.

"Oh, well...like hard to take care of,"he explained. Edgar's face fell when he heard this.

"...I'm sorry. I try not to bother. I really... am very grateful, though...,"he murmered softly.

"No doubt, I'm just making sure you realize how far you've come. I mean, you're actually kind of likeable now. You've grown up to a point where Meredith actually enjoys waiting on your every need, which is really saying something considering she initially wasn't too keen on keeping you in the first place." Edgar stared at him, feeling his heart break.

"I not know that...,"he mumbled, remembering that night she had first sang to him and let him fall asleep in her lap, feeling his heart rip as he did so, "I thought she wanted me..."

"Oh no. Actually it was me who suggested we keep you. You know, being a veterinarian and all, it's hard to watch innocent animals die just because nobody wants them." He let this sink in, smirking as Edgar's head sunk down low, knowing he had successfully hit a weak point.

"Good thing I convinced her otherwise,"he continued, the urge to smile almost uncontrollable now, "Look at you two now. You've gotten so close." Edgar looked up at this.

"I really love Mrs. Parker,"he replied softly, trying hard to control his voice, "I want work really hard to...to make her...proud of me."

"Oh, don't we all? Meredith has that attractive, likeably personality. That's one of the reasons I married her. And I suppose you think she loves you too?"

"I...um...I don't know...,"Edgar replied unsurely, looking down at his feet.

"I would imagine Meredith would say something like that. She has this uncanny ability to make just about anybody feel loved," Edgar frowned, confused.

"...You make seem like she not mean it,"he said slowly.

"Well of course she doesn't mean it,"he laughed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Take it from someone who knows her. She rarely means _anything_ she says."

"...She sound like she mean it,"he said softly.

"That's just because you don't know her like I do,"he insisted, patting the boy's shoulder, "Trust me, Edgar. I think you're just misunderstanding. You still have a lot to learn."

"...But...then why she do all this for me if...if she didn't love me?"he asked, hurt.

"Again, it's just Meredith's way. We all care about you, of course, but don't flatter yourself. Especially considering...what you are." Edgar stared at him, unable to comprehend what he was saying.

"...What?"he said slowly, shaking his head.

"Oh Edgar, don't make me say it. You mean you couldn't figure this out for yourself?"Dr. Parker asked, faking a concerned expression. Edgar slowly shook his head, and Thomas let out an exaggerated sigh.

"Come on, son, don't tell me you actually thought we wanted you as part of our family? You know how much embarrrassment you've caused us? Edgar, Edgar...,"he said, leaning over to place his hand on his shoulder, "You're a very bright boy, Edgar, but let's face it: You're an animal. You're not one of us." Thomas watched in twisted satisfaction as the boy's eyes filled with rising moisture. Edgar looked down at his hands, suddenly ashamed of himself.

"...But I trying really hard to act human,"he said softly, struggling to control the emotion in his voice, "I trying as hard as... as I can, Dr. Parker."

"Trying can only get you so far,"he replied, "But by all means, try all you want."

"...I feel very stupid,"he mumbled, "I realize now I very selfish..."

"Oh, come on now, don't be upset. Practice makes perfect, as they say,"he said with a quiet smirk, standing, "Well, I'm glad we got to clear this up, Edgar. Don't put yourself down too much, kid. Once you can act properly, we'll find you a good home with a family who actually wants you and doesn't mind taking care of you." Edgar hesitated, feeling tears threaten to fall.

"...Thank you, Dr. Parker...for telling me."

"Anytime, kid,"he said, smirking as he left the room, "Anytime..." As soon as Thomas turned his back to the boy, he let the satisfied smirk he had nearly betrayed finally show. Finally, he felt, he had balanced the scales. His wife may have abandoned him, but he had made sure that the boy would not reach out to her anytime soon. Meredith was the boy's entire world. If this did not teach him his place, he didn't know what would.

As soon as Dr. Parker left the tears Edgar had been holding back finally began to fall. The world once again felt red and raw to him, and everything he thought he knew was now being questioned. The perfect image he held of Meredith as a kind, warm motherly figure who loved him dearly was suddenly warped and tainted. His throat felt sore and constricted as he fought down tears. Why was he upset? Had he really thought otherwise? Dr. Parker made it all seem so silly - he felt like a fool for letting these feelings of love and want creep into his heart. Of course he was just a pet to her. He hadn't even thought of it until now - but he was a full-time project. Mrs. Parker had spent hours and days tutoring him, caring for him, teaching him all she knew. He was nothing but a nuisance to her - an annoying amount of work. Of course she didn't care about him as much as he did for her.

Edgar squeezed his eyes shut and tucked his knees up to his chest. He had gone and assumed that everyone here cared for him at least a fraction of what he felt for them. But now he knew he really didn't understand the human world. Suddenly all his hope that he could ever fit in, all his dreams that he might one day fit into a family were stripped away from hiim. He felt so alone...

"Edgar!" His ears perked up as he heard Mrs. Parker calling his name. He stayed where he was, unmoving, not ready to get up and face her when he didn't know how much longer he could hold it in. After a couple of seconds, Mrs. Parker poked her head in his room.

"Edgar, did you remember to brush your teeth?" She stopped when she saw him, curled up in a ball on the bed.

"Edgar? What's wrong?"she asked, laying the clothes on the bed and sitting down on the edge of the mattress. He didn't answer; instead he looked fixedly down at his arms.

"Nothing,"he mumbled, not looking at her.

"Something's wrong,"she insisted, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. He shook his head emphatically, refusing to make eye contact with her.

"Edgar, you can tell me. It's okay,"she encouraged him softly. He hesitated a moment, testing the truthfulness of this statement. She stared at him sadly and held her breath, waiting for the walls around him to come down. Maybe today would be the day he finally opened up to her. But he remained sitting with his back to her, his arms wrapped protectively around him because it was the only way he knew how to hide his heart from people. It was the only way he knew how to protect himself from things like what Dr. Parker had told him.

"It's nothing...,"he finally said, looking down at his hands. She stared at him for a moment, gently rubbing his back.

"You just keep doing your best, dear,"she said softly, then slowly got up off the bed and left him there to wonder what his best was, if it wasn't what he was already doing.

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><p>AN: Dont' you just want to punch Dr. Parker in the face? Poor little guy. :( Anyway...next week, back to Meredith. It's going to get a little disorganized here on out. I'm going to have to break the two-chapter pattern and start slowing down the time scale to every 3 or 4 days. I have a one-chapter bit of Meredith I will post Sunday regardless of whether it's ready or not, and then mostly EdgarShelley stuff until the end. There's a lot of things in the second act that I have parts written out for...but I think I've decided I'm only going to go to the end of Act 1. I might share some of my extra stuff later, once this is done...maybe. Depends on my mood, what color underwear I'm wearing that day, the constellations, what songs come up on shuffle, the position of Mars, you know...important, relevant things like that.


	8. Week 4:Patience

AN: I chopped part of this chapter off, and it's still too long. Oh well, sorry. Sorry for lack of updates, I was in Mexico for a week, and tomorrow I'm flying up to Utah for my first semester of college. I actually had a really hard time with this chapter. There's a big Meredith scene coming up, but I felt like there was nothing to transition into it. So here's what I came up with...Hope it's acceptable. I don't know how much time I'll have once I start college, but hopefully I'll have the next chapter up soon.

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><p>Week 4: Patience<p>

Edgar couldn't sleep the following night, or the night after, or the night after that. His mind raced with the things Dr. Parker had said to him, and he couldn't seem to shake them off. Usually he would eventually collapse, but he seemed to be struggling tonight. He sat in bed later than usual, listening to the sounds of the house. Every few hours or so, a low groaning sound issued from the walls, and the sound frightened him. Had this sound been there before? Had he just slept through it before?

At around three in the morning, the grumbling sound began again, and Edgar couldn't take it anymore. He jumped out of bed and ran upstairs as fast as he could. When he got to the upstairs hallway, he stopped, debating for a moment if he really wanted to wake up Mrs. Parker and bother her when he knew she was sleeping. Without thinking, he turned in the direction of Shelly's room instead.

Her door was unlocked, and Edgar quietly opened the door. He had never actually been in Shelley's room. She had always gotten severely annoyed whenever he had tried to go in, and even though they were now on better terms, Edgar had always sensed that Shelley did not like him going in there.

He did not have trouble seeing where he was going, even though the room was completely dark. He approached her bed hesitantly, then finally gently tapped her shoulder. When she did not stir, he nudged her a little harder. This time she slowly rolled over, her eyes fluttering open.

"Who is that?"she asked groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"Edgar,"he answered quietly, suddenly shy.

"Edgar? What are you doing in my room?"Shelley asked sleepily.

"I got scared...,"he whispered softly in the darkness.

"Why didn't you go to Mom's room instead?"she asked, rolling over so she could switch on the table lamp. Light filled the room, illuminating the embarrassment on Edgar's face.

"I'm sorry...,"he mumbled, lowering his head.

"What are you doing here?"she asked, sitting up.

"I-I heard a noise,"he began to explain, uncomfortable now because he had only chosen Shelley because he had hoped that Shelley hated him less than Mrs. Parker did. What if she did hate him, though? What if she thought he was just a nuisance, too?

"Okay, what do you want me to do about it?"she asked sleepily, "Go wake up Mom."

"I...can't,"he mumbled.

"Why not?"

"Because...I not want bother her..."

"But it's okay to bother _me_?"she asked. Edgar cowered under her annoyed tone, feeling stupid now for ever thinking this could be a good idea.

"...I sorry,"he said softly, not making eye contact with her, "I not mean to make you mad. I go now..."

"I'm not mad, I just asked why you didn't go to my mom instead." Edgar didn't say anything to this.

"You know, you've been acting kind of weird lately,"she said, staring at him peculiarly, "Like you've been acting really nice all day. I mean not that you're not usually nice, but like, _way_ overboard lately."

"I sorry...,"he mumbled.

"Quit apologizing for everything!"she sighed, throwing off the covers and sitting up further in the bed, "You act like you have to say sorry for breathing! Chill out. I'm just saying, normal people don't flip out when they get the couch pillows out of place or ask for chores or say they'd rather study then go outside. It's okay to be selfish sometimes. Go get my mom. And don't feel bad about it." Edgar slowly looked up to look at her, feeling helpless now.

"I can't...she hates me,"he finally confessed. Shelley looked at him like he was crazy.

"Wait...you're joking, right?" When he didn't answer, Shelley began laughing, much to Edgar's astonishment.

"Edgar, you can't be serious,"she laughed, "My mom's in love with you. Seriously, just look at her. She's absolutely crazy about you."

"I don't think so...,"he mumbled.

"Is that what this is all about? You seriously think she doesn't like you?"she asked, now disbelievingly.

"Yes..."

"Edgar, that's so ridiculous. You're all she talks about." This did not make Edgar feel better. Of course he was all she talked about. She must not have time to do anything else but complain how much work he was.

"...How can she not be ashamed of me?"he asked quietly.

"What's to be ashamed of?"she replied, shrugging. He shrugged, avoiding her question.

"...Are _you_ ashamed of me, Shelley?" He was afraid of her answer. He watched her every expression carefully, still not an expert on reading body language, but still desperate to see the truth in her reply. Shelley paused as she thought about this. She remembered Rick, telling her everyday what a loser Edgar was. She agreed because it was important for Shelley to make him happy, but she wasn't actually ashamed of him, was she? She just said that to appease Rick. He was practically a genius, and a sweet one at that.

"No, of course not,"she finally replied, "Edgar, trust me, you don't have anything to worry about. Nobody's ashamed of you."

"But I not"-

"-I'm ,"she corrected, "Mom told you you need to work on that. You don't say I all the time, you say I'm."

"Oh, okay,"he said, nodding, then whispering softly, "Dr. Parker say I'm just annoying pet to everybody..."

"Dad did _not_ say that,"Shelley said, rolling her eyes, "You heard him wrong."

"I'm...sure he said that. I'm heard him."

"I."

"I what?"

"You said 'I'm heard him.' You're supposed to say 'I'."

"But you said to say 'I'm'..."

"Whatever! Look, Edgar, it's really late. Can we talk about this in the morning?"she said irritably, rubbing her eyes. Edgar quickly looked down, feeling guilty.

"Okay...but...um...Shelley?"

"What?"she asked, sighing loudly, clearly irritated now. He shrunk back at the annoyance in her voice.

"But...I still scared of noise..."

"It's just the air conditioner, Edgar,"she said, pulling the blankets over her, "It's nothing."

"...What is air conditioner mean?"he asked softly.

"It's the thing in the walls that makes the air cold. It turns on when it gets too hot,"she mumbled, turning her head into the pillow.

"Oh...but why people want to be cold?"he asked, "Why we need air conditioner to make us cold and blanket to make hot? Why not just have none?"

"Just...because! Because that's just what feels comfortable!"she said, groaning into her pillow, wishing he would leave.

"...Cold not comfortable. I not like cold. It always cold in cave,"he said softly, not really seeing that her groaning was a sign of exasperation. She looked up slightly when he said this, her eyes half-lidded yet still attentive.

"You can take one of my blankets if you want,"she offered, pointing to her closet. He glanced sideways at the closet, but still didn't move.

"I scared, Shelley."

"Then go to my mom's room. You don't have to wake her up, just sleep on the floor. That's what I would do when I was little. It's less scary sleeping with someone in the room with you." Edgar looked at her helplessly, wishing she could see how much more scared he was of upsetting Mrs. Parker than he was of the air conditioner.

"...Can I sleep in here tonight?"he asked softly.

"Edgar, the air conditioner's going to go on every night regardless of where you sleep,"she said, yawning again, "Besides, Dad would skin you alive if he found you sleeping in my room."

"Why?"

"Because, it's not right for a guy to sleep in a girl's room unless they're married."

"Why?"

Because...because it just isn't!"she said, approaching her limit, "Edgar, please, I'm begging you, it's three in the morning. I want to go back to sleep."

"I be really quiet. Please, Shelley? Just tonight?"he begged her. Shelley sighed, falling back against the pillows and closing her eyes.

"Fine, whatever. Sleep here, I don't care. Just don't talk,"she mumbled, turning over on her stomach. Edgar watched her for a minute until her breathing became regular, and the room became eerily quiet. He looked around and found a spot by the bed, curling up on the floor and waiting for sleep to take him. His mind was still wracked with thoughts of what Dr. Parker had told him, but slowly the sound of Shelley's even breathing lulled him into a light, dreamy sleep.

When Edgar woke up in the morning, he didn't really know where he was. He looked around, and the memories from last night suddenly flooded his mind. He sat up and looked over to where Shelley was still sleeping, her face turned in his direction. He watched her sleep for awhile, her expression so gentle and beautiful, it made him feel jittery with that strange swelling feeling he felt when he was around her. Quietly, so as not to disturb her, he got up off the floor and gently opened the door to the hallway.

"Edgar?"Meredith called, seeing him from the other side of the hallway, "What are you doing in Shelley's room?" He stepped out slowly, embarrassed that he had been caught, though he really didn't understand why it was bad to be in her room.

"Um...I getted scared,"he mumbled, looking down, "Shelley said I could..."

"Why didn't you come to me instead, sweetheart?"she asked. He didn't know what to say. He shrugged, hoping that would suffice.

"Alright, well next time you get scared, come into my room, sweetheart,"she said softly, a little confused but still understanding, "Shelley's a young girl, sweetheart. We don't go into young girls' rooms unless they invite you in. Okay? It's polite to them and respectful of their privacy." Edgar nodded without comment.

"Shelley's spending the day with some friends, and Dr. Parker is swamped with work and has to work today. So it's just us today." Edgar tried not to let his disappointment show. He looked forward to days when Shelley could spend the whole day with him. Not only that, but he felt more comfortable with Shelley in the room, more free to be himself. Ever since Dr. Parker's talk, he felt like Meredith was expecting something from him, something he didn't know if he could give.

When Meredith went downstairs to start breakfast for everyone, Edgar didn't follow. He realized he would much rather be with Shelley. He was about to open her door when he remembered what Mrs. Parker said about privacy, and quietly sat on the floor outside to wait for her to get up.

He knew there was distance growing between he and Mrs. Parker lately. The feeling was strange to him: his relationships with everyone in this family were always very clear and straightforward. It made him feel confused and disoriented. This was just another element to knowing how to be human. Learning times tables and dates and facts was one thing, but knowing how to manuever with human relationships and understanding why people did the things they did was a completely new factor that he was afraid he would never understand. The things he was learning now could be explained in a book. They were nothing more than formulas to memorize and practice. People, however, were complicated.

Sometimes he would look at Mrs. Parker and see only unselfish love in her eyes, and other times Dr. Parker's words would fill his mind and that love would twist into that of annoyance and exasperation. He would often feel the same with Shelley. He had come to her before Mrs. Parker because his fear of Mrs. Parker outweighed his fear of Shelley, but surely Shelley must not like him, either, if Mrs. Parker didn't...The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He longed to close the distance with he and Shelley, but he knew, deep down, her friendship was built off of pity, not love.

At that moment, Shelley finally emerged from her room, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

"Edgar?"she asked, when she saw him sitting by the side of her door, "What are you doing?"

"Good morning, Shelley,"he said brightly, smiling for her as he always did.

"Morning...Did you sleep outside?"she asked, peering back inside to see the blanket on the floor.

"No, I sleep on floor,"he replied, standing awkwardly, "Thank you for let me stay in room last night."

"Oh, sure. Sorry if I was rude to you. I don't really remember, but I'm usually really cranky when I'm tired,"she said, laughing lightly.

"I sorry I wake you up."

"It's okay. Now I know how my mom feels when I used to do that to her,"she said, shrugging, "Remind me why you didn't go to my mom?"

"I...I don't know,"he mumbled, "I think she mad at me."

"Really? She didn't say anything earlier."

Edgar looked down, not knowing what to say. Edgar had never really tried to reach out to her and talk about his feelings or his problems before. That had always been her mother's job. But he looked at her so intently, so helplessly, that she was suddenly seized with an unexplainable desire to help him.

"Well, if you think something's wrong, maybe you should do something for her. Like make something or say something nice to her. Just to be nice for no reason. It makes people happy." He nodded, hanging on to her every word. Shelley saw his eyes widen as he listened to her, hanging on to every word. She didn't really know why he valued her advice so much, but lately she had been giving it more often. She liked being looked up to. She liked giving advice only she could give.

"Like what?"he asked slowly.

"I don't know, be creative. When I was little, I would draw my parents these really corny pictures, and they sucked, but for some reason they loved them. Or I'd purposely do all my chores ridiculously early so my mom would be all proud of me for being responsible,"she said, laughing, "But there's lots of other things you could do. Just help around more. She'd love that." Edgar nodded, though he still felt helpless.

"Okay...,"he finally said, "What kind of thing she likes?" Shelley shrugged.

"Beats me. All girls pretty much like the same things - flowers, shoes, things you probably don't have access to,"she teased, then continued, "I really don't think she's mad at you, though." She left him with this, going downstairs to get breakfast. Edgar followed her quietly, not wanting to be left alone. He did this frequently, though it didn't seem to annoy her anymore. Like her mother, she slowly began to see it as nothing more than cute.

Meredith usually tried to get most of the house chores over with in the morning. Edgar normally used this time to study, but today he simply sat on the living room floor, thinking about what he wanted to do for Mrs. Parker. Finally he got up and began looking around the room, searching for some kind of inspiration to get him started. He opened drawer after drawer until finally, he came across a curious little package. He found it at the bottom of one of the drawers: a small square package with a picture of a kind of flower he did not reckognize, but had seen growing in the backyard. He read the words on the parcel carefully, slowly: Daffodil seeds.

Inspired, he went to the kitchen, where he found Mrs. Parker, clearing breakfast. He tucked the parcel away in his pocket and approached her.

"Mrs. Parker? May I please go outside for few minutes?"he asked. She hesitated, and for a moment he wondered if this was a mistake. He must be making her secretly irritated, he thought. Immediately he regretted asking.

"Wait until Dr. Parker leaves for work, sweetheart, and then you can go outside,"she finally replied. He nodded, though inside he was growing uneasy. Shelley would leave soon, and he wanted to share his idea with her before she left.

He had to wait another thirty minutes before Dr. Parker finally came downstairs to grab a piece of toast and run out the door. When he finally left, Edgar asked again, a pleading look in his eyes. She finally agreed, making him promise not to get himself dirty.

He immediately went out to Mrs. Parker's flower garden and began to look for a suitable spot to plant his seeds. He found a small patch of empty dirt and bent down, pulling the package from his pocket. Now that he was here, he realized he didn't know how to plant a flower. Mrs. Parker had taught him all about how plants grew from water and from food in the soil, but he didn't know how to actually plant a seed.

Choosing to rely on instinct instead of asking for help, he carefully dug a small hole with his fingers, opened the package with his teeth, and poured out all the seeds contained inside in the little hole. He watched with satisfaction as the whole filled up with the small little granuoles. When he though the package was empty, he covered up the hole with his hands, not bothering to water it because he could feel, from the dirt, that it had rained last night. He stood there and waited. He waited and waited, but nothing happened. After a while he began to get worried. Had he done it wrong? Should he have watered it? Shouldn't something have something happened by now?

"Edgar?" Edgar turned to see Meredith standing on the back porch, looking curiously at him. She must have come out when she saw him just standing there for so long, staring at the dirt.

"Edgar, what's the matter?"she asked, coming over to him. He felt himself turn red, suddenly embarrassed. This was supposed to be a surprise and he had messed it up, like everything else he did. As much as he hated to admit it, and though he knew it caused her annoyance, he couldn't do this without her guidance.

"...I need help,"he mumbled defeatedly, showing her the empty package. She took the seed package from him, looking at it for a moment, then looking back up at him.

"I trying to plant flowers, but nothing happening."

"...Why were you trying to plant flowers, dear?"

"Shelley say you liked flowers,"he said simply, looking down in embarrassment. For a moment, Meredith didn't know what to say. Then finally she slowly broke out into a soft smile.

"You were planting these for me?"she asked.

"Yes,"he mumbled, glancing at his pathetic mound of dirt that still did not show any signs of life, "But I not do good job." For a moment she just stared at him, then suddenly her expression melted.

"Thank you sweetheart,"she said softly, smiling sweetly at him, "That's so sweet of you..." Looking up, he saw only love and gratitude in her eyes, and slowly he relaxed, beginning to understand that this was her way of showing her thankfulness. Slowly he smiled. At last, distance had been filled. He didn't know with what, or how much, but he knew that at least for this moment, he had done something right.

"Here, sweetheart, let me show you how,"she said gently, taking him by the hand and leading him to a new hole. He watched her as she shook out the last of the seeds stuck to the roof of the bag. Three perfect yellow seeds plopped into her waiting hand.

"Only a few at a time,"she said, making another hole in the ground and tossing them in, "Otherwise they have no room to grow." She smiled reassuringly and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, wanting nothing more than to wrap him in her arms and tell him how much she knew he was trying, and how much she appreciated his effort. She loved watching his eyes grow wide with attentiveness, soaking her words in like a sponge. She watched him as he carefully worked the moist dirt in his hands, patting it down ever so carefully, his face so gentle, it nearly broke her heart. She reach out to him or even give him a gentle hug, but she saw how he flinched whenever she did. She could see walls building up around him, stronger than usual lately, though she didn't understand why. He baffled her: he went out of his way to plant flowers for her, and yet he wouldn't participate in family activities unless he was invited; he would get uncomfortable and look away if she said anything kind to him, as if he felt he didn't deserve her kindness; and whenever she made the effort to offer up protective, motherly love, he would become quiet and shy and hide in a protective shell.

"How long do we wait?"he asked her, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Oh...I'd say at least a few weeks before anything shoots up."

"What? I thought it take few minutes!"he said, looking surprised.

"Change doesn't happen overnight, dear,"she explained softly, wiping off the dirt from her hands on her apron, "Just like people, it takes a long time for plants to grow. You have to be patient." Edgar grew silent at this, staring wonderingly at the patch of dirt, thinking silently to himself.

When Edgar had returned indoors, he quickly set off, eager to find Shelley. He heard voices at the front door, and he hurried to see her, to tell her that he had found a way to make up for all of his failures and annoyances. He had spent countless hours sitting in the backyard, staring wonderingly at all the beautifully colored flowers. He had never seen anything so beautiful in his life as the sweet smelling flowers. Surely presenting a patiently nurtured thing of beauty such as that was a perfect way to show his appreciation for her.

He turned the corner and saw Shelley standing under the doorway with her back turned to him, the sunlight spilling onto her smiling face, catching in her hair.

He was wrong. _She_ was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life.

Slowly Edgar approached her, hidden in the shadows, waiting to be noticed. She was talking to someone, her back turned to him.

"So...why are you here again?"he heard her say.

"You didn't call, so I figured you probably missed me,"a male voice said suavely.

"So you're just going to hang around all day?"she asked, laughing lightly, "I kind of already made plans with some friends..."

"Well, I'll be doing you a favor. You know you'd have more fun with me than your friends."

"Ha ha, very funny." Edgar leaned in a little further to see the two of them. It was the boy who had pulled the knife on him, the one he had seen with his face so close to Shelley the other day. He saw him now, leaning in close to Shelley's face again. Neither of them seemed to notice Edgar as he watched his face come closer and closer to Shelley's. He moved a little so he could see them from the side, watching as the boy's lips suddenly met hers. He couldn't help but stare, watching them. What were they doing?

"Hey, my my mom's right there in the kitchen...,"she said softly, pushing him away.

"So?"he asked, leaning in for another kiss, "Come on, Shell...I didn't come all this way for nothing..." Edgar watched uncomfortably as the boy slipped his hand around Shelley's waist, pulling her closer. He felt like he had swallowed a rock, but he still couldn't look away. Shelley leaned into him for a moment, kissing him back.

All thoughts of telling Shelley about his plan disappeared. Edgar could only watch as her lips slid over Rick's, touching him like he had never seen anybody touch someone before, so exclusive, so intimate, that he suddenly felt embarrassed for having walked in on it. Slowly he turned around, walking quietly back into the living room, the image of Shelley and that boy burning behind his eyelids. His heart felt heavy in his chest, his stomach no better. The butterflies were gone and had been replaced with a strange sort of nausea. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else, but all he could see was the two of them: Shelley, laughing and kissing this boy in ways he would never know. Dr. Parker's words came flooding back to him, louder and stronger than ever, making his heart sink. He knew he would never know that same sort of intimacy he had seen. He felt foolish now for dreaming of it, for letting himself hope that with time, his and Shelley's friendship would suddenly blossom overnight, and this aching fluttering he felt in the pit of his stomach whenever he looked at her would suddenly be satisfied. Like the seed he had tried and failed to grow, he knew Dr. Parker was right. He was nothing more than a temporary pet to this family, a defective seed. A knot formed in his throat as Dr. Parker's words rung through his mind, promising only dead ends and hopeless aspirations of love and acceptance.

_We all care about you, of course, but don't flatter yourself. Especially considering...what you are._

He sat silently down on the couch, listening to the emptiness of the room and the faint sounds of Shelley's laughter from the hall.

_You're an animal. You're not one of us._

Edgar buried his face in his hands as the words echoed off the walls of his mind, his eyes brimming with tears that he alone and no one else would ever see.

_Trying can only get you so far..._

As the front door closed and Shelley walked by without saying anything to him, he let just one lonely tear fall gently to the floor by his feet.

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><p>AN: Poor Edgar and his self esteem problems. Next chapter is shorter...yay? But can I just say something? I know nobody is obligated to write a review, but it seems really unfair when the site lets you see how many people tune in to read, and yet there's only one person nice enough to actually write a review. I'm not one to beat around the bush; I think that's really rude. That's like taking the time to look at someone's painting they worked really hard on with them standing right there in front of you, and then walking away without saying anything. No one's ever done that to me, and I should know, I'm a painter. I really don't care if all you have to say is "Good job" or "It sucked. You should die," but if you seriously have the time to read this entire chapter, you should have no problem typing a few words. I'm sorry if I sound harsh and mean, but honestly it's true. And as a side note, nobody will ever be interested in reading your own stories if you can't show your interest for others. That's all I have to say about that.<p> 


	9. Chapter 5:Forgiveness

Week 5: Forgiveness

Three days later...

Edgar sat on the couch in the living room, intently studying from a children's history book. Lately he had been trying to do more independent study so that Mrs. Parker would have more time to do things around the house, but he felt restless and lonely with nobody there to keep him company. He would sit for hours studying, waiting for the moment when Shelley would come home. They still played their usual game of listening and waiting at the front door, but now when she found him waiting for her, he would simply ask Shelley to talk about her day instead of asking her to help him. If she didn't have much homework or wasn't hanging out with her friends, she would, much to Edgar's delight, spend a long time talking to him, explaining school, friends, regular teenage problems, all the things that Edgar would never know for himself.

"I have friends someday?"he asked her as they sat together on the couch.

"I'm your friend,"she said, as if this was enough. He smiled and didn't say anything more, as if all he wanted was confirmation that this was still true.

"That boy you talk to few day ago...he your friend?"he asked after a brief moment of silence. She laughed nervously, shifting uncomfortably.

"Oh, you mean Rick? Well...yeah, but that was pretty rude of him to treat you like that earlier...,"she said, and he smiled in spite of himself, secretly pleased that she was defending him.

"Oh. That's okay. I don't really remember,"he lied.

"He's really short-tempered,"she replied, shrugging, as if this excused his knife-threat.

"He doesn't like me very much, does he?"

"No. But he doesn't really like anyone, so it's okay,"she answered.

"...I thought he your friend,"he said, confused now.

"He's a different kind of friend,"she mumbled, crossing her legs. Edgar nodded, remembering how they had kissed each other. What did she mean?

"What kind of friend?"he asked curiously. Shelley sighed, wishing he would just drop it.

"Just...I don't know how to explain it. That's private, Edgar, you don't ask people personal stuff like that, not unless you're really close friends with them."

"Oh...okay,"he mumbled in reply, clearly hurt. Shelley raised her eyes briefly to meet his, and in that moment she could see the hurt on his face, showing her how she had offended him.

"Oh...no, Edgar, I didn't mean it like that. You are a close friend, you're just...I don't know, it's just kind of weird because you don't understand any of it,"she said pathetically, then seeing his still hurt expression continued, "I just don't know what to think of him right now, okay? That's all. I don't know how to tell you what kind of friends we are because I don't know for myself. I'm not trying to make you feel left out, it's just...I don't know, it's weird talking about it with guys."

"Oh...okay,"he said softly, feeling a little better. He wanted to ask more about it, but he was afraid that he would be prying. She smiled weakly, yet in the silence Edgar didn't really know if he had done something wrong to create more space or done something right to fill it. All he knew was that he liked spending time with her, and listening to her explain these small, insignificant things to him day after day. He wondered if she felt the same or if she, like Mrs. Parker, was just spending time with him because she pitied him.

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><p>Meredith stood cleaning dishes in the kitchen, her mind full with troubling thoughts. She listened to the sound of her son's laughter in the next room, a soft, breezy sound. Part of her felt she loved that sound more than any other sound in the world, and another part of her felt like it destroyed her every time she heard it. She set the last plate out to dry and leaned over the kitchen sink for a moment, simply listening to her son's voice carrying through to the kitchen. Even though he seemed to be avoiding her lately, he seemed to be everywhere, if not in person, then in her dreams, her thoughts, her memories.<p>

She went to take a seat at the kitchen table, letting the sound of her children's voices fill her head. Slowly she laid her head into her hands and closed her eyes.

_"Thomas? Do you want to hold her?"Meredith asked, looking up. Thomas sat hunched over at the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. When he heard this he slowly sat up, trying to smile as he carefully took their daughter from his wife's arms._

_"You were right, dear, she does look more like a Shelley. Shelley Parker. It has a nice ring to it..." Thomas said nothing, just stared blankly at the perfect little baby in his arms, her large brown eyes - his eyes - staring up at him. He forced a weak smile, kissing her head._

_"I took him to the woods,"he suddenly said, turning to look at her, "While you were sleeping." There was a beat of silence. _

_"...Oh."_

_"I was about to do it. I was so close, but I couldn't. Instead I...I left it in a cave." Meredith was quiet, not sure how to approach the issue she wanted so badly to forget._

_"I just...thought you should know,"he continued._

_"...Alright,"she finally said, refusing to look at him. Her voice was tight and restrained, and immediately Thomas regretted ever saying anything._

_"I don't mean to hurt you by telling you this, Meredith..."_

_"Then why _are_ you telling me?"she said harshly. Her voice was loud, hysterical almost, threatening to relapse into the madness that had consumed her the second the nurse had shown her that...thing._

_"I'm telling you because I want you to know that...if you want me to go back and finish the job, I will." Meredith said nothing to this, just stared down at their perfect, normal daughter, her arms flailing in the air._

_"...Why would it make any difference to me?"she finally asked, her eyes trained on her child, refusing to look at him._

_"I don't know. Maybe I figured it wasn't fair to let nature destroy it when nature wasn't responsible for creating it in the first place. Maybe I thought you would want..."_

_"What? Justice?"Meredith finished. Thomas said nothing, waiting for her to continue with baited breath. _

_"You're the one punishing yourself, Thomas,"she said, still not looking at him. _

_"I'm just giving you a choice, Meredith."_

_"He doesn't exist. He never did. There's nothing to consider."_ _Thomas stared at her for a moment, letting the silence brew unsettled between them. Then slowly he moved on to the bed with her. She flinched as he carefully wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head as he gently pressed his lips to her forehead, lovingly caressing her arm. Thomas pretended not to notice._

_"Meredith, listen to me. I know you're hurting, and I know you just want to pretend those things didn't happen to you, but please know I love you and that whatever your demons may be, I swear to you I will protect you from them,"he whispered softly, and Meredith suddenly felt tears glisten in her eyes as she listened to him, as she leaned back against his arm and into his comforting warmth, "...We can put all the pieces back together the way they used to be. We can start over, with Shelley. I know we're both dealing with all of this in our own way, but just know that I am determined to deal with this in a way that ensures that you'll be protected. If all you want to do is forget, then I can help you do that. None of this had to happen if you don't want it to." Meredith raised her gaze, but still would not, could not, look at him. She stared blankly at the wall in front of her, feeling a hollowness inside her that she wanted desperately to fill. He was trying to comfort her, but she didn't know if she was capable of being comforted anymore. He kept trying and trying, but if was like trying to comfort a rock for all the emotion it could get out of her. She leaned just barely against him, willing herself to believe him, or at least believe in his honest effort. _

_"I'm scared, Thomas,"she finally murmured, a tremor passing through her with the relief of finally saying those words out loud, "I can't forget that...thing."_

_"You will,"he insisted, "He's gone, now, Meredith. Whatever happens to us, we have to keep trying to forget the past and move forward. I know it's scary, but it's a lot less scary when we brave it together. We can't hope to promise a happy life for our child if we are weighed down by memories of the things we're trying to move on from. She'll grow up away from all of this, in a completely safe environment...Everything will fall into place. We'll have each other, and we'll have our daughter, and this new chance to start over. I'm going to make it right this time. I promise." Meredith stared at him, not knowing what to say anymore. Shelley moved a little in her arms, as if to remind them both that she was still there. _

_Silence fell between them._

_"...I'll go get you something to eat,"he said when the silence became too uncomfortable. Meredith nodded stiffly, focusing her attention on Shelley. Thomas leaned down to kiss her, but Meredith pretended to not see him and turned her head so that the kiss landed on her cheek instead._

_"I love you,"he said softly, gently running a finger along her cheekbone. She forced a weak smile for him but said nothing. When he was gone, she looked back down at her child, sleeping now in her arms._

_She had tried so hard not to think of him. When she was alone like this, however, she couldn't help it. She would look at her daughter and couldn't help but imagine her twin brother in Meredith's other arm, growing up alongside her. She couldn't let herself remember, and at the same time she couldn't let herself forget. It seemed too cruel to forget about a child you had watched come out of you. She closed her eyes and tried to remember the wretched thing she had seen: a purple, writhing, ugly creature, his pointed ears far too large for his small head, his cry too high-pitched. It was the same screech that she had woken up to for months - the resounding screech of a bat - of an animal. She had been tortured by nightmares of these creatures, swooping down, sinking their fangs into her skin, diving and swooping until she or her parents were covered in blood. For months now she had suffered through nightmare after nightmare where she relived her parent's death over and over again, having no way of stopping the bats or any way of defending herself. Seeing him was seeing a vision from her nightmares, a reincarnation of her deepest fear born in human form, determined to haunt her._

_She closed her eyes, feeling Shelley's soft heart beat against hers. Was this really justification for her? Killing this boy would not bring her parents back. Would everything be fixed if they did this, as Thomas had promised? Could she really be promised a better life just by covering up the truth with lies?_

_With a sinking heart, she suddenly realized she hadn't even really looked at him. He was gone before she had even given him a chance to be looked at and considered. She felt like he deserved to be looked at, maybe even to be held securely in someone's arms before he left this world._

_She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Thomas was right. Let go of the past. She didn't need to dwell on what could have been. She wanted so terribly to forget he ever existed, to forget the accident ever happened, and bring her parents back, but she didn't need to torture herself. She closed her eyes as she thought this, feeling her heart ache with the heavy loss she bore. No matter how many lies she fed to her daughter, how many years Meredith may live without the memory of this cursed child she had given birth to, her parents' deaths would always be a constant reminder to her that the past was real, and even lies could not change the fact that they were gone forever. They would never get to meet her daughter, never get to see her on her wedding day, and they wouldn't be here to help her as she tried to raise Shelley. She missed them so much. She missed her father, for his kindness and his humility. She missed her mother, always so calm and wise. She would have known what to do. She would have been able to help her through this._

_And now the wretched thing had found it's way into her heart when she wanted nothing more than to burn him away from her memory. When she thought of her parents, she remembered that monster. Thomas was right. The sooner she forgot he existed, the better. The memories it would bring would destroy her. He didn't exist. She had to believe that. She closed her eyes, bringing her daughter close to her, the child that did exist, and willed herself to believe this was true._

_God forgive her, she was only doing what she felt was necessary to survive. Thomas and Shelley needed her now, and she couldn't be the mother and wife they needed her to be if she was constantly reminded of the sacrifice she made to have them. She closed her eyes and prayed for God to take back the cursed child and forgive her for doing what she had to do to survive. When she opened them, she slowly breathed in a shaky sigh and lifted her daughter close to her face so she could kiss her forehead. What she thought was the Lord's love and forgiveness enveloping her was really her own self-assurance, her own justification that what she was doing the right thing. She welcomed this warmth and comfort, believing in it, believing that this lie that she had told herself would carry her through the coming years and wipe away the sin that she had committed._

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><p>AN: Religion's kind of a messy topic to talk about because there are so many different opinions on it, but I'm going to do it anyway, and I'm going to do it in the next chapter. I'm not trying to turn this into a religious story, but I think faith does have a lot to do with their lives, and obviously it's a big part of the Parker's lives. For Meredith, in particular, I think she may have used her religion to cover up some of her shame. I think most of the townspeople do the same thing, actually. Start getting caught up in God's will and self-righteousness, and all of a sudden people are justifying things in God's name in order to get away with whatever they like. A LOT of people do this, and not just Christians. Anyway, that was the original intention, to give Meredith a reason to do the unthinkable so she wouldn't be haunted about it over the years. I don't want anybody flipping out and thinking that I'm implying that God forgives baby killers. And I am also not trying to imply that God does not forgive those who truly repent. I can't really say that's ridiculous, because that's based on what you believe. That's all I have to say. Sorry for the long author's note. Moving on.<p> 


	10. Week 5:Retribution

AN: I know I pick on Edgar way too much and make so much needless drama out of his situation, and if it seems that way, as it probably does in this chapter, it's because subconsciously I want Edgar's life to suck so I feel better about mine. It sounds bad, but really, that's the reason people read tragedies in the first place, so if you get annoyed by the way I bully Edgar incessantly, it's probably more of a personal thing than a bad writing thing. Or maybe it is a bad writing thing. 0.0

This chapter has been hacked, chopped, and rearranged to the most ridiculous degree history has ever known, and it STILL isn't what I want it to be. ENJOY ANYWAY.

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><p>Week 5:Retribution<p>

Meredith found Edgar one night staring dreamily out the window. She gently reached out and touched his shoulder, making him turn around in surprise. He stared at her for a moment, then quickly lowered his head and mumbled a brief apology. He had been doing that a lot lately: apologizing. What was he even apologizing for, she wondered. Did he even know?

"I thought you'd be in bed by now. Were you taking a break?"she asked, noticing the grammer book lying closed in his lap. He nodded absently, then dejectedly opened it again, as if he felt guilty for having ignored it for so long. She slowly reached over and took the book from him, closing it and laying it on the floor.

"Why don't you go to bed, dear?"she asked, touching his shoulder, "You need your rest."

"I need practicing."

"_To_ practice, dear."

"I need to practice,"he corrected himself, looking frustrated.

"You've worked hard enough. It's okay to rest. Resting is just as important as working." He couldn't seem to find the words to reply. Edgar stared hard at his hands, feeling awkward and nervous, as he often did around Mrs. Parker nowadays. Meredith stared at him, waiting for him to say something. When he didn't, she turned slightly so that she could face him.

"Edgar, you are happy here, aren't you?" He looked up in surprise, a blank expression on his face.

"Of course I am!"he replied quickly. She smiled sadly, knowing that she was the reason he had ever been otherwise. She wanted to know what made all of this so much better than what he had lived through. But more than anything, she wanted him to open up to her.

"...I know we never talked about this before, because your English was never good enough. But...would you tell me what your life was like before you came here? What was it like growing up in that cave? Were you happy or sad? Were you ever scared or lonely?"she asked softly. He hesitated, and she held her breath, waiting to see if he would finally trust her with his feelings or simply curl in a ball and turn away from her. She saw hesitation in his eyes, maybe even a little fear.

"...It dark and cold always, no matter what I do to make me warm,"he finally said softly, looking down at his hands, "It was wet, too. I never thought it any of those things until I come here, though. I alone, but...there was bats there..."

"Were they good to you?"

"They take care of me,"he answered, hesitating long enough to make Meredith wonder to what extent he meant.

"...They didn't hurt you, did they?"she asked. He looked at her, tilting his head to the side. "...I couldn't help but notice your scars." He looked down at his arms, as if just noticing that they were covered in thousands of tiny scars, criss-crossing over one another. He looked down at his hands, his big, ugly hands with his rough, scabbing skin and huge calluses covering the majority of his palms.

"...I don't know. Sometimes. I tripped a lot, too, because it was dark and the ground was really...um...slippery, that's the word. I got hurted a lot, because I had to walk. Bats don't, though. Bats can fly..." Meredith stared at him sadly, trying to understand what he was feeling. She tried to imagine what his life must have been like, being so different, growing up around those who had traits and qualities you could never hope to have.

"...Have you always been by yourself?"

"Only bats,"he answered evasively.

"...Was that enough?"she asked softly. Edgar looked down, not saying anything for a long time.

"No...,"he finally mumbled, twirling his hands anxiously, as if he was telling a deep, dark secret.

"It's okay to say what you feel, sweetheart. I understand."

"I didn't know there was better way...,"he murmured, "I always feel different, and alone. But...I not know how much until..."

"...Until you came here,"she finished for him, gently reaching out for his hand, "I'm so, so sorry."

"It okay. I not alone anymore,"he replied with a small, innocent smile. She smiled back, gently leaning in and kissing his forehead. His eyes widened in surprise at the gesture. He would see her kiss Shelley like that, and he knew it was some sort of sign of affection, but he hadn't suspected that he ever would deserve to be shown the same sign.

"I thought...you only do that for Shelley. Because you her mother, right?"he asked softly.

"Well yes, but that doesn't mean I can't do the same for you, sweetheart,"she replied, "Haven't I been like a mother to you these last few weeks?" He nodded shyly, looking down.

"...Mrs. Parker?"he asked after a while, "Why don't...I have a mother?"

"...I can't say, dear,"she whispered softly, feeling her throat tighten painfully as she spoke.

"But Shelley told me once that everybody has a mother, because someone had to give birth to you..."

"I suppose that's true...,"she answered tightly, ashamed to make eye contact with him.

"What it like to have a mother?"he asked softly, "I mean...to grow up with one."

"...I don't know if I'm the person you should ask that, dear. My mother died nearly seventeen years ago." Edgar stared at her, a look of guilt and concern on his face.

"I not know that,"he said apologetically, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker." A hard knot formed in her throat, rendering her momentarily speechless. At that moment, she wished nothing more than to shake away any doubt that kept him from knowing just how much he meant to her. She wished she could tell him what he wanted to know, but she could never hope to be able to put it into words. A parent's love couldn't be explained; it had to be shown through love and caring, through childhood games and family traditions, things that he would never know. She had missed out on those opportunities to give him those things a long time ago. She may already be too late to give him those things now.

"...Come here, sweetheart,"she finally said.

"What?"he asked, confused.

"Just come here,"she repeated softly, holding out her hand.

"...Okay,"he said, confused as he scooted closer to her. Slowly she reached out and wrapped her arms around his back, pulling him into her embrace. He flinched a little, startled. He had never been hugged before. At least, not like this. He wasn't sure what to do. His hands were curled up against his chest, but she held him so closely that they were touching hers too. He felt awkward, embarrassed; he didn't know what to do with them. Was he supposed to hug her back? Or was he just supposed to sit there and wait for something?

"Relax, sweetheart,"she whispered, laughing lightly. He said nothing, but slowly did as he was told. He felt out of place. He saw Mrs. Parker give Shelley hugs a lot, but he had never imagined anyone would ever hold him like this. He loved her so much, but he couldn't imagine how she could feel the same way, especially after everything Dr. Parker had said. But at the same time, he couldn't deny that he liked her warmth, her gentle touch, how she gently held him to her. This close, intimate contact with one person was strange and irrational to him, and yet made perfect sense at the same time.

"Edgar...,"Meredith said softly, finally breaking the silence that had fallen comfortably between them. She leaned back and took his face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that alone, sweetheart. You never deserved to live like the life you did. I hope you know that,"she said softly before continuing, "I'm happy we had an opportunity to give you more."

Edgar didn't know quite how to respond. He wanted to tell her it was okay, that none of it mattered now that he was here. But instead he felt a tightness build up in his chest as he stared back at her, her expression as kind and loving as always, no matter what he did wrong. Maybe it wasn't until she had said it or looked at him with such pity and sadness in her eyes, but he suddenly, with horrible clarity, began to realize just how much she had given him in contrast to how much he had lost. And with that sudden realization, he felt the tightness expand until he found himself unexplainably trying to fight back tears.

Meredith stared at him, at the little boy who wouldn't look her in the eye because he was trying so hard not to show weakness in front of her, to show her that he was actually really scared and lonely, that all he really wanted was to know that this sense of warmth and security was permanent, that he had a home to stay in forever.

"It okay,"he finally managed to mumble, offering his rather delayed answer with weak, averted eyes. Meredith smiled sadly, reaching out and taking his hands.

"Are you okay?"she asked gently. He nodded slightly, raising his eyes just a fraction to meet hers. He hesitated, holding his breath, as the tightness in his chest expanded, threatening to suffocate him.

Finally, in a slightly timid voice, he asked, "...Is it okay that I here?"

"Edgar, of course it is,"she answered immediately, "Why ever would you think otherwise, dear?" Edgar hesitated, not knowing quite how to respond. He didn't know how to put his feelings into words - he had never needed to until he came here.

"Because...I so different,"he finally mumbled, feeling Dr. Parker's words echo softly in his mind, "And I...a animal." Meredith stared at him sadly for a moment, her head reeling.

"Who told you that?"she asked slowly.

"...Dr. Parker,"he mumbled in response. She felt a flash of anger course through her when she heard this.

"Sweetheart, look at me. You are not an animal. You are a beautiful boy, and you are no less human than we are. I want you to believe that." Edgar stared at her, struck dumb. This was not the answer he was expecting.

"But I different,"he said slowly, confused, "I don't understand...Why you do so much for me?"

"Because we want to help you, dear,"she responded, "Nobody said being different is a bad thing. We love having you here."

"But...why?"he asked, genuinely puzzled now.

"Because you didn't deserve to live all alone in that cave,"she replied softly, brushing her fingers over his cheekbone, "Because you deserve a home and a family just like everybody else." Edgar froze, trying to make sense of the warmth that had suddenly filled him when she had said that, so different than anything he had ever felt in his cave.

"But...I not even know if I human,"he mumbled embarrassedly.

"That doesn't matter to me, dear,"she said softly, "Not to any of us."

"But why?...I don't understand why it not matter." She laughed, gently rubbing his arm.

"When you care about someone, you do things simply because you want to make the person happy. That's all. Love is about giving and not expecting anything in return.

"That not fair, though,"he said, confused.

"I know. But that's just what people do, dear,"she said, "It's nothing to feel guilty about." He stared at her, looking indecisive. For all the factual knowledge Edgar had been struggling to learn these last few weeks, this did not make sense. For all there was to learn about rules of mannerism and the strict, indisputable laws of life, humans accepted the unexplainable and irrational just as easily. He couldn't understand how a world with such immense and precise knowledge about how the universe operated could ever allow for exceptions like undeserved love. It was such a different world to Edgar, who had grown up in an animalistic world where his only concerns were of basic necessities. It felt childish and immature to admit, but Edgar couldn't help it. He simply didn't understand her motivation.

"But...I do,"he said helplessly, looking pleadingly at her, "I do feel guilty." Her expression softened, instead reaching for his hand and gently squeezing it.

"Edgar, I don't want you to feel bad about being here. I'm glad you were brought to us. Truly, I am,"she said sincerely. Edgar stared at her for a moment, weighing her sincerity. He may not be able to understand her acceptance for him, undeserved as it was, but he did trust her. No matter what she though of him, he would always trust her.

"...Really?"he finally asked, his voice quiet and cautious, as if he were preparing himself for a bad answer. But instead she only smiled, disbarring his thoughts of rejection.

"You're part of our family, now, Edgar,"she said, reaching for his hand, "We love you."

"...I...I not think anybody here think I was part of family,"he mumbled, flustered.

"Of course you are, dear,"she said softly, smiling gently. Edgar smiled back, feeling happiness bubble contently inside him when he heard this. He certainly wasn't an expert on reading faces or interpreting truth from reality, but her words felt as real to him as ever, and he found himself cautiously believing her.

"...Thank you,"he said after a beat of silence. She smiled warmly and pulled him back into her arms. He returned the embrace a little less cautiously, unable to ignore the warmth that had swept through him or the swelling in his heart when she kissed his head and held him tenderly against her.

"...I love you,"he whispered softly, the words coming out quick and breathless, as if he wasn't sure whether he wanted them to actually be heard or not.

She held him tighter when she heard this, unable to help the tears unexpectedly rising. It was out of her power at this point. She held her boy tightly to her, praying that she would never have to let him go ever again. She could feel his heartbeat against her skin, a small but steady reminder that he was alive, and he was hers. He was the gentlest, sweetest, most naive boy she had ever met, and she realized then that she loved him so unconditionally she couldn't imagine life without him.

"I love you, too, Edgar,"she whispered quietly as she released him. She quickly tried to hide her eyes, but there was no point. He had seen them. For some reason, the sight made him happy inside. They were proof to him that everything that Dr. Parker had said couldn't be true now. They were proof that she loved him back.

In that instant all the grief and worry he had carried with him these last few weeks melted away. He was wanted. He was loved. And in that instant, Edgar realized with sudden clarity that that was all he had ever wanted to be.

"Come on, dear. It's past your bedtime,"Meredith said quickly, giving herself an excuse to hide the sudden weakness he had seen. Edgar complied, standing and making a move toward his room before she pulled him back to plant a kiss on the crown of his head.

"Goodnight, darling,"she whispered softly. He beamed, feeling a warm, bubbly feeling simmer contently inside of him. She had never called him that before. The word itself had a loving, motherly connotation, and he couldn't help but smile, he was so happy.

"I wish you were my real mother, Mrs. Parker...,"he said softly. She forced a smile back, not knowing how to respond.

"Goodnight, dear,"she said again.

"Goodnight, Mrs. Parker,"he answered, his eyes absolutely radiating happiness.

Meredith waited until he had closed his bedroom door. She stood there in the living room for a moment, staring blankly at the floor. She felt as if her heart had been shattered by a collosal earthquake, a tidal wave of every kind of emotion - love, sorrow, grief, but most of all, heart-wrenching guilt from the impact of that one small statement.

_"I wish you were my mother..."_

She walked back upstairs slowly, barely conscious of opening the door to the bedroom. Thomas wasn't there - out hunting, probably. She was glad. She needed to be alone.

She shut the door behind her and stood there, unable to move from her spot. She listened to the silence of the house, feeling it press painfully on her as she continued to stand there, limbs frozen in place. At long last, she sank backwards against the door, sliding down until she was on the floor, her eyes wide and glassy as she buried her face in her hands. Here in the darkness of her own room, with nobody else to see her, she did what hadn't done in over seventeen years.

She cried.


	11. Chapter 11: Missing Chapter

AN: Welp, I was scared this was going to happen, and then it did. I lost an entire chapter during the transfer.

I'm very sorry to those reading, but I am NOT re-writing the chapter. I'm sorry. It's gone. Accidents happen. Computers suck sometimes. Soooo I'll have to give ya'll a summary of what happens here so I can continue. The rest of the story did make it out alive...I just have to edit and actually post them all, haha.

Chapter 11, Week 6: Don't know what this chapter was called because it's GONE, WAAAAH!

Meredith and Shelley sit around waiting for Edgar to finish his middle school exit exam, which Meredith gave to him on a whim, not expecting him to pass but wanting to show him how far he had come. Secretly, everybody's half-hoping he will actually pass. Meredith collects his test, grades it, and sure enough, Edgar just barely passes. Meredith and Shelley congratulate him, and Meredith asks what Edgar would like for a reward. Edgar asks if he can go out in the front yard for a change. Meredith refuses, convinced it's too dangerous. Shelley tries to stand up for Edgar, saying that he deserves it, that he's proven that he's responsible, and that if he wears a hat, he'll be perfectly safe. Edgar is obviously disappointed, but doesn't feel that he's in any place to fight for it. Finally, Meredith allows him to wear a hat and makes him promise to not go past the front porch.

Predictably, the front porch turns out to be not that exciting. Going back inside, Meredith tries to comfort him, saying that she'll call the sheriff and ask if it would be okay to let him walk around with her watching him. She goes to call the sheriff, and Shelley immediately tries to convince Edgar to sneak out with her. Naturally, being the good boy he is, Edgar refuses. Shelley persists, saying that her mother might keep making empty promises forever to avoid hurting his feelings, and that the sheriff will probably never let him out. Edgar is not convinced until Meredith returns with news that, sure enough, the sheriff said no, and then promises that he'll be able to go outside soon. They make plans to sneak out the next night, Edgar still doubtful.

* * *

><p>I quadruple checked, but I'll check a few more times to make sure I didn't just save it in the wrong file or something. If I do find it, I'll go ahead and replace the chapter. Sorry, everyone :(<p> 


	12. Week 6:Exploring

Week 6:Exploring

Edgar couldn't sleep that night. He kept thinking of Mrs. Parker, sleeping soundly upstairs, completely unaware of the treachery he was about to committ. He had finally felt stable in his relationship with her, and now he was about to go behind her back.

When 3 am came he jumped out of bed, pulled on some shoes and went to wait downstairs for Shelley. She tiptoed down the stairs from her room, carrying a flashlight.

"Shelley, I not want to lie...Please, can we not do this?"he whispered softly as she led him outside, opening the back door so slowly even he couldn't hear a sound. Shelley waited until they were outside to speak.

"Edgar, it's totally fine. Mom and Dad want you to go outside, they're just scared of people seeing you. If nobody sees you, then there's no reason they wouldn't want you going outside. And no one will see you at this hour, so it's perfectly okay."

"Then can we tell them where we go first?"he pleaded, looking worried as Shelley stepped on a rock and lifted her leg on the surface of the fence that, though he hadn't noticed earlier, jutted out a bit and provided a decent sized footrest.

"Come on, Edgar. This is part of being a teenager. You have to do this at least once in your life,"she said, "Okay, see where my foot is? You're going to go first, just in case you need help. You just swing your leg over and let yourself fall down. It's not that steep on the other side." Edgar looked indecisively at the rock, torn between pleasing Shellley and respecting Mrs. Parker. This was part of being a normal teenager? Well, Mrs. Parker's mission was to make him more normal...

Shelley was surprised when Edgar hopped over the fence with surprising ease, his feet barely touching the notch in the fence. She struggled up and landed on the other side, landing easily only because Edgar caught her halfway and gentled her impact.

"Thanks,"she whispered, smiling now, "Come on! I'll show you my school!" She took him by the hand and pulled him toward the road. Edgar walked slowly, his mouth hanging silently open as Shelley pulled him along, urging him to walk faster. The landscape was like nothing Edgar could have ever imagined. The land seemed to roll out in an endless expanse of hills, going on for infinity. Suddenly the world wasn't just a square lot surrounded by a fence, or a small rectangle of a window. There were no borders.

Much like his first experience outdoors, Edgar had to beg Shelley to stop nearly every two seconds to get a closer look at something that piqued his interest. As the world seemed to lay itself out before him, Edgar felt a rush of adrenaline hit him like nothing else he had ever experienced. He felt the wind howl against his ears, and he suddenly wanted to follow it, to run as hard and far as he could.

"Edgar! Where are you going?"Shelley shouted as Edgar suddenly took off, following his instincts and simply running, arms stretched out. He barely heard her. He felt like he was flying, soaring above the hills and trees and becoming part of this divine beauty he beheld in front of him. Smiling radiantly, he turned his head back to Shelley, who was running confusedly behind him.

"This is amazing, Shelley!"he laughed, throwing his arms out as he slowed down to let her catch up.

"What's amazing?"she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"Everything! It more than I ever dream of! It so beautiful, Shelley! Do you really get to see all this every day?"he asked, looking intently at her.

"Well, yeah...,"she answered slowly. She looked around at the place they were standing, but all she saw were the usual green hills of West Virginia, the familiar woods, the long dirt roads. There was nothing exceptionally beautiful about it. It was what she saw everyday.

"You never tell me there so much here!"he continued, growing more and more excited by the minute, "It so big!"

"I didn't tell you because I never thought there was much here,"she laughed, amused by his excitement, "I guess to someone who's only seen the inside of a cave, this is a lot, huh?"

"It _huge_!"he said in reply, spinning a full circle as he looked around.

"We haven't even gotten to the school yet,"she laughed.

"There's more?"he asked incredulously, as if he had thought that this was school.

"We haven't even walked five minutes, Edgar. There's a lot more we could see, but I really think you'd like to see the school."

"Is school like this, too?"he asked.

"Um...no, not really, but I know you'd like it...,"she said, "Come on!" Edgar followed Shelley a little way longer down the road, observing his surroundings with utmost appreciation and curiosity. Shelley watched him as his face lit up with every new discovery, and she found after a while that his smile was contagious. She couldn't help but be happy with him, basking in this new discovery of the world that she could only see through his eyes.

The school was at least two miles away, but Edgar certainly wasn't complaining about the walk. He took every opportunity to stop and ask Shelley to explain something to him, or give him the name of something. The deserted road seemed to stretch on forever and ever. It wasn't until now that Edgar finally understood what Mrs. Parker and Shelley had meant when they taught him that the earth was round. Somehow he knew, without asking, that if he kept walking, he would never reach an end. He would keep going, seeing new things, discovering new places, but in the end he would end up right back here. The idea amazed him. There really was endless opportunity to discover new things.

When they approached the school, Edgar stared up at the chain link fence in awe and fascination. It reminded him of the fence in the backyard, but he could see through this fence.

"...Am I allowed to touch it?"he asked, turning to Shelley.

"Of course. It's just metal. It's dark, but you should be able to see into the yard at least a little bit." Edgar had no problem seeing into the yard, but he didn't tell Shelley this.

"That's where we eat lunch everyday. And over there's the classrooms,"she said, pointing. Edgar stared in wide-eyed fascination, listening intently as Shelley showed him every possible angle. It wasn't difficult for Edgar to get a glimpse of what the school looked like from the outside; the campus itself was tiny, only big enough to accomodate for its 182 students.

"What's that, Shelley?"Edgar suddenly asked, pointing somewhere in the distance, past the school.

"Oh...that's Mr. Ned's cattle ranch. We can't go over there, that's his and his family's property."

"Property? What that mean?"he asked.

"It means he owns that land, and it's not our place to go walking there without his permission. It's like...how you're not supposed to go in people's rooms before asking. It's disrespectful."

"Oh, okay,"he said, nodding his understanding.

"So what else do you want to see?"she asked, changing the subject.

"The river!"he said excitedly, "Or the mountains!"

"It's actually just a creek. Rivers are way bigger, like about as far from here to the other side of the school. And these aren't mountains, they're just little hills,"she explained, laughing at his bewilderment, as if he truly couldn't fathom the idea that there could be anything bigger than what he saw now, "I don't think we can go there, though, it's too close to people's houses. A lot of people get up really early to go to work. We could get in trouble." Edgar looked disappointed to hear this. He stood there for a moment, thinking of what he wanted to do, then suddenly looked up at the sky.

"Look, Shelley, the sky is changing colors!"he exclaimed, pointing to the brightening horizon line as dusk crept over them.

"The sun's coming up pretty early today. I know this really cool place to watch the sunrise, if you want to go,"she said, turning to him.

"Okay!" She began walking down the road again, keeping to the side in case any cars came by. None did.

"I having so much fun, Shelley!"Edgar told her, beaming as they walked, "Everything so beautiful!, I wish we can stay..."

"This was pretty fun,"she said, suprised that she didn't have to lie, "Just wait until you see this view. My friends and I come here sometimes to watch the sunset. Hope you don't mind climbing, though."

"I not mind."

"It's not that far away, but if we don't hurry, we'll miss it. Want to race?" Edgar looked at her like she had just told him to swallow a dynamite.

"What?"he asked, perplexed.

"You know, race. Run as fast as we both can to see who gets their first."

"Okay...,"he said unsurely.

"Ready...set...GO!"she shouted, and she took off, leaving him behind to try and figure out for himself. Once he saw what she was doing, he began running as well, easily overtaking her. He stopped when they reached the top of the hill, letting her catch up.

"Whoa...you're...fast,"she gasped, leaning her upper body weight on her knees, "You're unbelievable. Is there anything you can't do?" He smiled, beaming from her compliment.

"Thank you,"he said, smiling.

"You can sit down,"she said, crossing her legs on the cold, damp grass. He sat down beside her and turned to the sky, now brightening.

Edgar stared at Shelley, watching the glowing sun bathe her skin in a warm, orange light, illuminating her soft brown eyes. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her, she was so beautiful. He felt his stomach do a flip-flop as his heart pounded in his chest, and suddenly evey nerve in his body was tingling with excitement. He wanted to touch her. He didn't know why, but he knew he wanted to reach out and touch her and see if she would let him. He looked down where her hand was, right next to his, so easily attainable, just within his reach. But he couldn't do it. No matter how hard he willed himself, he always stopped. What if what he was feeling wasn't normal? What if he was too much of an animal to even have correct human instincts?

"...Edgar?" He nearly jumped in surprise when she suddenly turned to him, and immediately he shrunk his hand back, embarrassed, even though she couldn't have possibly known what he was thinking.

"Y-yes?"he stammered, his heart racing.

"Have you ever seen a sunrise before?"she asked.

"I see...from window,"he replied, looking down, "But not this way." Shelley was quiet when he said this.

"I don't know why, but...I was just thinking how sad that was. I mean...I guess I've always taken them for granted. But it's different with you here..."

"What you mean?"

"I don't know. It's just pretty cool, isn't it?"

"It beautiful...,"he murmered.

They sat in silence for a while, and this time Edgar made sure to keep his eyes on the sky. They sat watching as the sun rose higher and higher, not yet touching the horizon line but quickly approaching, illuminating the sky with warm pinks and purples.

"...Thank you for showing me everyting today, Shelley,"he suddenly said, turning to her. Shelley smiled at him.

"No problem. I'm sorry you didn't get to see more."

"It okay. I happy with things I did see,"he replied, smiling back at her.

"You want to go home already?"she laughed.

"No!"he said quickly, making her laugh, "I just...I worry about Mrs. Parker."

"She sleeps in on Saturdays, don't worry. We should probably head back, though, just in case. We took a lot of time walking to school since we were going so slow..."

"Wait, please? One more minute?"he pleaded, looking up at her, "I not know when I see another one again..." Shelley hesitated, staring at him for a moment, then slowly seated herself back down.

"You'll see another one,"she said after a moment of silence, "You will. I promise." Edgar broke his gaze away from the sky for a moment to look at her.

"But...Mrs. Parker say I have to stay in house..."

"That's not forever, though. Someday you'll get to go outside whenever you like, and you won't have to have somebody watch you all the time. And then we can do this whenever we want to."

"...Really?"he asked, wide-eyed.

"Yeah. It won't be too long from now. You just have to be patient." Edgar smiled at this, beaming at the prospect of getting to do this again with Shelley.

"Okay,"he said with an affirming nod.

"So...ready to go?"she asked, reaching out her hand to help him up. He stared at her hand quizzically, not really understanding what she wanted him to do with her hand.

"I don't understand,"he finally said, glancing up at her.

"Take my hand so I can help you get up,"she explained.

"But I can get up by myself,"he said, thinking she meant that he didn't know how to get himself up. He stood up on his feet to show her.

"Okay, fine, it was just a friendly jesture,"she said with a slightly annoyed tone.

"I'm sorry, Shelley...,"he said, holding out his hand, "I take your hand now if you want." Shelley stared at his outstretched hand for a moment, then suddenly started laughing. Edgar just stood there as she laughed, extremely confused now.

"You're really funny, Edgar,"she said, still smiling, "Don't worry about it. You'll get it later."

"Oh...okay,"he said, laughing nervously though he still didn't get it.

"Shelley?"he suddenly asked, glancing up at her, "Thank you again...for doing this for me."

"You already thanked me before,"she teased.

"It...bad to say two time?"

"No, it just means you're twice as grateful!"

"I am grateful. I see sunrise and trees and flowers and lot of beautiful things."

"Yeah..."

"And I spend time with you."

"I'm flattered,"she said, laughing a little, "You make me feel so special." She meant it half-sarcastically, but Edgar's reply surprised her.

"You is. You special to me." She blushed a little and looked down at her hands. Edgar felt that strange urge rush through him once more: he wanted to do something to close the distance, say something or touch her.

"Can I hold your hand, Shelley?"he asked suddenly. She turned to him in surprise, unsure if she heard him right for a moment. He looked at her with a look of genuine sweet innocence, and she suddenly realized that he had no idea he had even made a move on her. She looked down at her shoes for a moment, knowing that she had the option to tell him what exactly that meant, explain to him that that wasn't what "just friends" did.

"Okay,"she said instead. He smiled innocently and gently slipped his hand into hers. His hands were rough and calloused against hers, a testament of the life he had lived before he came here. He didn't grip her too tightly or forcefully like Rick often did. Edgar was gentle and careful, or maybe just shy. Either way, she liked the feeling of his hand in hers.

"Why we not taking the road, Shelley?"Edgar asked.

"The neighbors. Most people around here are cattle ranchers. That means they have to get up early in the morning to start working, and we're in trouble if they see us."

"Why we have to hide from them?"he asked.

"Because, one, they'll tell my mom and dad, and two, they'd flip if they saw you walking around." Edgar stared at her, a perplexed expression on his face.

"Why?"he asked.

"Well...because they don't know you can talk and everything now. They don't understand that you're safe to be around."

"But I thought I better now. Why they not want to see me?"

"Because they're afraid of you." Edgar looked at her, confused.

"Why they afraid?"he asked softly.

"Well...because you bit Ruthie. They're afraid you'll bite one of them, too." He looked down, quiet for a moment.

"I didn't...mean to,"he mumbled quietly.

"I know you didn't."

"Can I go see her someday? The girl?"he asked suddenly.

"What? Why?"

"I want to say I sorry,"he replied, straight-forwardly.

"Edgar, she's in the hospital. She'd tear you to pieces if she saw you, or at least her mom would. Mrs. Taylor's psycho, like seriously. You don't want to go near her." Edgar frowned.

"But...if I say sorry, then she not be mad at me,"he said.

"She'll be mad no matter what you do, Edgar. Some people don't care if people are nice like you. They don't want to forgive you. There's no point trying. Everyone's just still too worked up about it all." She didn't look at him as she spoke. She didn't know how to tell him that the situation was more serious than he was thinking.

"I didn't know, Shelley. I scared...I didn't know what to do. She scare me with bright light. I thought she want hurt me..."

"It's okay, Edgar. You didn't know,"she said softly, "You don't have to defend yourself to me."

"But now I feel bad... I want tell her, and everybody that I know now. I never do that now."

"Don't worry about it, Edgar. Hopefully they'll know that someday."

"...Is that why Mrs. Parker and Dr. Parker not want me outside?"he asked, just realizing this. Shelley nodded slowly. Neither of them said anything for a long time. They walked back slowly in silence. It was only 5:00 am by the time they reached the backyard fence.

"Ready?"she asked, realizing then that she was still holding his hand. She squeezed it a little tighter, trying to encourage him, but she could see that he was upset by everything she had said.

"Hey, don't worry, Edgar. She'll get better, and then everyone will forget about it,"she said, smiling for him, "Don't be sad, okay? It wasn't your fault. You don't have anything to feel sorry for."

"...Okay,"he mumbled, though it was clear he didn't believe her, "Shelley?"

"Yeah?" He hesitated for a moment, debating what he wanted to say.

"Are people only afraid of me...because I not normal?"he asked softly. Shelley was about to retort immediately and tell him of course that wasn't true, but she stopped. That was exactly the reason they were afraid of him, she realized.

"You're totally normal, Edgar,"she said finally, "You're just different - in a good way. I really wouldn't worry about it."

_How could different possibly be good_, he thought?

He wanted to tell her what he was thinking, but he didn't know how to put it into words. He wanted her to understand what he was really saying. He wanted her to be able to understand how much he hated being a monster, how he hated always being different from everyone. But Shelley didn't seem to understand him. She didn't see the monster in him because nobody except Dr. Parker knew his secret. If Shelley knew he drank blood, she would be scared of him, too, just like the town. She would run away from him, because he wasn't normal.

Shelley turned back to the fence, looking around, and his opportunity was lost.

"Getting back up's always harder,"she said, turning her head around, looking for something, "There used to be this really big rock somewhere, but I guess my dad moved it..."

"I can help you up...,"he suggested slowly, "...If...that okay."

"If you can do it quietly."

"I have to carry you, though."

"Um...okay,"she said nervously. He gently pulled her closer to him, motioning for her to get on his back. He could sense her fear, her distrust. He looked back up the fence, examining it. He had climbed rock walls much taller than this in his cave, but he had never carried a passenger before. He was confident he could still do it, but he wanted to be safe. He stepped up on a rock close by. Shelley would be safe if he jumped from here.

Shelley didn't have time to scream in fright. In one moment Edgar had jumped and hit the fence only once, only to kick off immediately and somehow land perfectly balanced, crouching on the top of the fence.

"What the heck? You're like Tarzan!"she whispered incredulously, looking over her shoulder at the bottom, "You could probably make that in one jump, couldn't you?"

"Not with you,"he said quietly, somehow managing to turn himself around so he was facing backwards. Shelley wrapped her arms around his neck tighter and shut her eyes, preparing herself for this one.

He didn't try to make the entire jump. Instead he carefully hung himself over the ledge with one arm and told her to jump from there. She let go and hit the ground with a thud, and he followed soon after, landing on his toes and hands.

"You...amaze me,"she whispered, laughing, "What can't you do?" Edgar felt his heart swell with happiness when he heard this, knowing he had finally done something to win her attention and praise.

"Did I hurt you, Shelley?"he asked, concerned, seeing that she hadn't landed as gracefully as he had hoped she would.

"No, no, I'm fine,"she said quickly, smiling, "Thank you." He looked down, feeling his cheeks blush a faint pink.

"You welcome...,"he mumbled embarrassedly.

"I think we made it in time,"she said, taking his hand without asking and walking quietly to the door. Edgar wanted to say something to her, to thank her for all that she had done, but his words were lost when she opened the back door into the house. They stayed perfectly silent as they snuck in the house, their ears straining for any sound at all. They made it to the living room and stopped, knowing by now if anyone would be awake, they would at least hear them from here. Shelley turned to Edgar and mouthed the words "bed" to him, then slowly let go of his hand, turned one last time to smile at him, and tiptoed up the stairs as quietly as possible. Edgar watched her go, feeling his heart melt with love for her and his stomach flutter with words he so wished he could say to her. He felt like he had awakened from a dream, a wonderful dream he still, even now, didn't want to end. All he could think about was Shelley's smile, Shelley's laugh, Shelley's warm, soft hand in his.

And that's when Edgar knew, without a doubt, that he was in love with Shelley Parker.

* * *

><p>AN: On a side note, I'm really tired of making all these intentional grammatical mistakes. They're driving me crazy. But I still have a hard time believing even the smartest genius could be speaking perfect English in 6 weeks. Thus, I will suck it up.<p> 


	13. Week 6: Realizations

AN: There are some pretty awkward parts in this chapter. I'm just warning all for the easily offended.

* * *

><p>Week 6:Realizations<p>

Shelley leaned back against the wall facing Rick's bed, picking absently at a fingernail. He spun around in his desk chair, staring blankly at the cieling, waiting for her to say something. Shelley turned her head to the window, looking out over the sloping fields and bright sun illuminating the world below her. She had never really seen the place she lived as beautiful until Edgar came here, but now that she looked out, she saw that he was right. It really was a beautiful place.

"...Aren't the hills so pretty?"Shelley suddenly asked, "I mean when you think about it, the world's pretty amazing, isn't it?" Rick shrugged indifferently.

"I guess. I don't really care,"he answered. Shelley sighed, letting her head fall tiredly into her hands. Why couldn't Rick see the world like Edgar did?

"I'm bored,"he said after a while.

"Same."

"Let's do something."

"What do you want to do?"she asked in a dull, monotone voice. There was a beat of silence.

"Ever smoked a joint?" The question startled Shelley. She looked up, wanting to see if he was joking or not. But no, he was serious.

"No...and I really don't want to,"she said slowly.

"Fine." They dissolved into silence once more, but the atmosphere was tense now. Shelley didn't know what to say, and Rick seemed to know he had made a mistake in asking her.

"I don't do it like...all the time. I mean, just when I'm really bored,"he said when the silence became too unbearable.

"Right,"she mumbled, "Well,...I guess I should get going then."

"You just got here."

"Yeah, well...I have a lot of homework,"she mumbled, not looking at him.

"Shelley." She was about to open the door when he suddenly blocked her path, grabbing her hand a little too forcefully.

"Shell, what the heck? You haven't called once last week, and now you're blowing me off?"

"No, I've just been busy, okay?"

"Too busy for me?"he asked, looking incredulous at the very thought, "What? That bat freak more important than me, now?" He began walking toward her so that she was forced to walk backward, until she was leaning on his bed. Shelley couldn't really tell if he was trying to be romantic or not. Maybe a few weeks ago, she would have played along, maybe even tried to be romantic back. But the fact that didn't feel like playing along at all only reaffirmed the fact that something had changed between them.

"Edgar's not what you think he is, Rick. He's really nice. We're really good friends now."

"Nice doesn't get my sister out of the hospital,"he answered.

"He's sorry about your sister. He said he wants to apologize to her."

"Like hell he's going to apologize to her."

"Rick"-

"Just shut up, Shelley!"he interrupted her, "I didn't invite you over here to talk about your stupid pet!"

"Well I didn't come over here to sit here and stare at the ceiling!" Shelley was going to tell Rick off for berating Edgar, for ignoring her feelings, for being an idiot. But she didn't. Instead she stared at him coldly until they both seemed to calm down enough to speak at a normal volume.

"...Why am I here, Rick?"she asked slowly, her voice even.

"Because this is what we always used to do. You know...hang out here...,"he said, slowly reaching out and pulling her against him, "I know it's been weird lately, but we can still do that, you know...We can pick up right where we left off, right before you started ignoring me..."

"I wasn't ignoring you...,"she mumbled, squirming a little against him, "Rick, I don't know. It doesn't feel the same as it used to." This should have been a warning sign to Rick, but he just ignored this and began absently running his hand down her side.

"Come on, Shell, you know you want to...,"he whispered softly, dipping his head to kiss her. Shelley closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss, but Rick did all the work. She tried to will herself to feel the way she used to whenever he would kiss her like this, but it just felt too unnatural, too rough, even a little annoying. He kept trying to force her mouth open to deepen the kiss, but she was getting fed up. She put her hands up against his chest to try and push him away, but he only seemed to see this as a sign that she was enjoying it.

"Rick, please,"she said quietly, looking pleadingly up at him. They stared at each other for a moment, reading something completely different in each other's eyes. Shelley had meant what she said as "please stop," but Rick saw the pleading look in her eyes in a completely different context. Instead of stopping, he grabbed her face and suddenly kissed her so roughly that Shelley felt sure her lips would bruise. Before she realized what was happening, he had pushed her backwards onto his bed, and he was on top of her, running his hands over every inch of her body. She felt her heart pump rapidly inside her, and she closed her eyes, hardly able to think, everything was happening so fast.

"Rick..." He didn't respond to her. He seemed more intent on getting her clothes off.

"RICK! STOP!"she suddenly shouted, and finally he seemed to hear her. There was complete silence for a while as Rick slowly digested that she had not, in fact, been asking him to take her. They stared at each other for a moment, waiting for the other to say something first.

"I thought you wanted to,"he finally said.

"No,"she said simply, "I don't. I'm sorry, Rick, it just...it just doesn't feel right. Not right now." He stared at her, not knowing what to say. Finally he slowly got off her so she could sit up.

"Okay...whatever. We don't have to, I just thought...you know. We've been going out for like two months now..."

"I know. Maybe some other time,"she mumbled, though she knew there would never be some other time, "You know...when I'm ready."

"Sure, I guess." Shelley looked down at her hands for a moment, then silently slid off the bed.

"I'd better go,"she mumbled silently, heading for the door.

"You'll come over tomorrow, right?"he asked.

"If I have time,"she responded, not looking at him.

"Cool. Well...later then, I guess." She forced a half-sincere smile for him and waved goodbye. As she walked back home, Shelley wrapped her arms around herself and walked as fast as she could, back to Edgar, back to the only boy she knew who did not follow her around and wait by the door for her every day and stare at her with such love and admiration in his eyes because he wanted her for sex. Edgar loved her for her, and right now she just wanted to be with him, and be admired by him, and loved by him, and watch his eyes light up whenever she said something most people would think was stupid and immature.

She closed her eyes and let a tear slide down her face. She had changed, and she didn't understand how or why. A month ago she would have been all too eager to give herself to the coolest boy in school. It would have been one of the greatest things she could have ever hoped for. To be popular and accepted, that was all that mattered to her. But now she just felt empty inside, like everything she had wanted in Rick was gone now. She couldn't remember why she liked him in the first place, or if she even still liked him. She would have done anything he wanted to to gain his affection before. What had changed?

* * *

><p>"Hey." Edgar held his breath when she poked her head in the door, smiling shyly. For a moment he just stood there stupidly, not quite sure if she was really here, in his room. It was late at night and Shelley had just returned from Rick's house.<p>

"I-I-uh...h-hello,"he stammered, then turned bright red as he suddenly realized he was completely shirtless. He had been changing into pajamas just as she had walked in.

"Uh-I'm sorry, I-I didn't expect you, so...uh...,"he mumbled awkwardly, looking around for the nightshirt he had apparently dropped.

"Sorry. I just...didn't feel like going to bed quiet yet,"she explained. He finally found the shirt and straightened up, scrambling to get it on. She wasn't looking at him; her eyes seemed to wander over him. Still blushing, he quickly put on his shirt, not noticing at all how Shelley watched him, marveling at his perfectly sculpted chest, thick, chorded muscle that stretched and retracted when he flexed his arms. She felt her stomach flip-flop and her cheeks flush all of a sudden, but even still, she couldn't take her eyes off him until he had put his shirt on.

"Shelley?"he asked, and her head jolted up. He was looking at her with a bit of a perplexed expression, and she realized then that he had been calling her name repeatedly and she hadn't been alert to hear him.

"Uh...sorry,"she apologized, blushing, "What did you say?"

"I say I sorry...,"he mumbed, embarrassed.

"Oh no, it's okay. I'm sorry I bothered you. I just...I had a really good time this morning,"she said quickly, "And...I was wondering if maybe we could just...hang out for a while."

"Hang...out?"he asked, confused.

"Yeah. Like...just talk and spend time together."

"O-Okay,"he replied, breaking out into a huge smile at the idea of spending time with her.

"Do you want to sit down?"she asked, smiling shyly back. He nodded, leading her to the bed. He sat down awkwardly, as if he didn't really know how to sit casually. Finally he did was she did and simply crossed his legs, but he seemed to struggle with it, not knowing which leg was supposed to go where.

"Y'know we should really do that again, sometime. You only got to see a little bit. I wanted to show you a lot more,"she said, smiling. Edgar looked down at his hands as he switched legs a third time, unsure what to say.

"...I don't know...I want to, but I not want Mrs. Parker to be angry at me,"he replied, "I-I not sure how to explain..."

"Oh...No, it's okay. I get it,"she answered.

"I-I want make good...good..."

"Impression?"she offered.

"Yes, impression,"he nodded, "She do so much for me, and...I love her." Shelley smiled weakly, looking down at her hands.

"You know...sometimes being around you makes me feel bad...because I was never really grateful for my mom until you came along."

"I not want to make you feel bad, Shelley,"he said softly, concerned, "I sorry." She quickly shook her head, looking down.

"You shouldn't apologize for things like that. It's a good thing. I mean...it's weird, but I'm kind of a lot closer with my mom now because of you."

"...What that mean? You...closer?"

"Like I get along with her better. We're better friends than we were before,"she explained.

"Oh. I think I understand,"he said, nodding, "...Are _we_...closer?" She stared at him and smiled gently.

"Yeah, we are,"she said, smiling thoughtfully as she looked down at her hands.

"Because I talk better?"he asked.

"Well, it helps, but there are other things, too,"she said with a reassuring smile, "But knowing you, you'll be speaking better than most English professors by the end of the month."

"I not think so...,"he mumbled sheepishly.

"Besides,"she continued, "You'll get better. You just have to practice. And if it makes you feel any better, your English really isn't that bad. I mean you know what I'm saying for the most part and I understand you. You learned it way faster than anybody ever thought you could."

"But you still better than me..."

"Well, yeah, but I've been speaking my whole life."

"I want be just as good as you, though,"he replied softly, looking down at his hands, "I want be equal."

"...It's not like I'm any better than you are. I mean...not everyone speaks the same language, but that doesn't mean they're less of a person, right?"

"Then why it bad I speak Bat?"he asked.

"It's not bad. It's just not what we speak."

"But...if I same as you, why you get to decide what I speak? Why not I teach you speak Bat instead?"he asked. She thought a moment.

"Well because you're in the human world,"she finally answered, "If I lived in a cave, you would teach me Bat."

"I teach you now if you like,"he said, smiling playfully.

"Okay,"she laughed.

"Eeeeaaaah,"he said slowly. She attempted to imitate him, but she kept on laughing.

"Ee-ah,"she said, gave up, then burst out laughing at herself.

"You do it wrong,"he scolded, laughing with her, "Eeeeaaaah."

"It's harder than it looks,"she admitted, "What are you even saying?"

"I saying hello,"he explained, laughing in spite of her defeat, "That first word Mrs. Parker teach me."

"Eee- eeeaaah - I can't do it."

"It take me long time too to learn English, too, he replied, matter-of-factly.

"E-eeeeaaaah."

"You did it."

"I did?"she asked incredulously.

"You have funny accent, though,"he teased.

"Well so do you,"she laughed. Apparently this was the wrong thing to say, though. Immediately Edgar's face fell, and the open, friendly atmosphere was extinguished.

"...I do?"he asked slowly.

"Well, I mean it's not like I can't understand you. And it's nearly impossible to get rid of an accent you've used your whole life."

"But I don't want an accent. I want talk like everyone else..."

"You will!"she reassured him, then seeing that he was still upset, continued, "Hey, I have an idea. I can ask my mom if we can get some tapes to listen to. Then you can practice on your own."

"What are tapes?"he asked.

"You'll see,"she said, smiling, "They'll help you speak better."

"Oh...okay. Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet,"she replied, shrugging, "I can't promise they'll work."

"It okay...I just practice lots so I not have accent anymore."

"We can practice together,"she said, beaming, "I'll help you. We'll hang out every day, for real. We can do whatever you want."

"Really?"he asked, wide eyed.

"For sure,"she replied. A long stretch of silence passed between them as Shelley stared down at her hands.

"...I got in a fight with Rick today,"she suddenly said, her voice quiet. Edgar hesitated, staring at Shelley for a moment.

"...Why?"he finally asked, guardedly, remembering what she had told him about prying into other people's business. Shelley shrugged again, leaning back against the couch.

"I don't know. He'd just been getting on my nerves lately. I don't really like him as much as I used to,"she answered softly, not looking at him, "He gets angry way too easily, and he's really rude to everyone around him, and really dense sometimes... Edgar looked down at his hands, not knowing what to say now.

"...But don't you tell anyone that, okay? That's a secret! I'm only telling you this because you don't know him very well!"she suddenly added, sitting up a little, "Got it?" Edgar stared at her, a little taken back.

"I won't tell,"he promised quickly.

"Well, now that I think of it, that's not fair."

"What not fair?"he asked.

"It's not fair that I told you a secret and you didn't tell me one,"she declared, "You tell me a secret now."

"What...does secret means?"he asked.

"A secret's like something that you don't tell just anybody. It's something you've always been too scared to say out loud, but you think about it a lot. It's something personal...and you can't tell them to people you don't trust." She could see she was making him nervous now. He hesitated a moment, thinking hard about what he wanted to say.

"I don't really like Dr. Parker...,"he confessed finally, looking down in shame, "He gives me mean look a lot of time. I don't think he like me very much..." He paused once more, wanting to say more.

"And...I think you very beautiful..." An uncomfortable silence fell over them when he said this. Shelley couldn't help blushing, but she tried to hide it by looking down and letting her hair fall over her face.

"...You only needed to say one,"she finally mumbled, her face burning hot.

"Oh...sorry."

"Um...it's okay,"she laughed, "Thank you..."

"Well...then you tell me one more. Then we be equal,"he said.

"Okay...,"she said, thinking for a moment, then lifting her head and whispering softly, "Um...I thought it was really sweet of you to ask to hold my hand. It was really cute. Most guys wouldn't do that...I mean, they wouldn't think to ask if it was okay.." Edgar could feel every nerve in his body tingle with happiness. Beaming, he slowly raised his head and met her gaze.

"...Can I tell one more?"he asked suddenly.

"Um...okay, sure,"she said, smiling. He paused, looking embarrassedly down at his hands before slowly lifting his head to face her. He was about to say it, to tell her he loved her, that she was all he thought about, but he couldn't do it.

"I never have friend before..,"he said instead, "But...I think you best friend I ever have..." Shelley stared at him for a moment, unable to think of anything to say. She thought of all the friends she had forgotten, all the relationships that she had let die away over the years. Edgar would have gladly been thrilled to just not have to be alone all the time.

"...That really sucks,"she finally said, looking awkwardly down at her hands, "Well...I'm really glad I'm your friend, Edgar."

"Was...that a secret?"he asked.

"No,"she laughed, shaking her head, "You can have that one for free."

They talked for over an hour, just sitting there on Edgar's bed, laughing and talking about nothing. Edgar had never been happier. He would watch Shelley's face light up with laughter, and he thought he had never seen anything more beautiful in his life.

"Whoa, it's really late,"she said, looking at the clock behind her, "I guess we probably should get to bed. We lost a lot of sleep from this morning."

"Okay,"Edgar said, disappointed. He led to the door, walking slowly.

"Thank you for everything, Shelley,"he said, smiling innocently.

"It was nothing,"she said, smiling widely, "I know you didn't like sneaking out, Edgar, but I'm really glad we did this. That was really fun." He felt like he could simply melt as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him. He closed his eyes and hugged her back. When they broke apart, he slowly leaned in and gently kissed her forehead; the only other way he knew how to show affection. Shelley gave him a peculiar look.

"No, like this,"she said without thinking, leaning in and kissing his cheek. Edgar felt his face burn red, and he quickly looked down, surprised but happy.

"W-What's that called?"he asked slowly, peering up at her.

"A kiss?"she asked.

"I...I not know word for it,"he mumbled embarrassedly.

"It's just a way to show your affection to someone,"she explained gently, "You know, how like Mom does to show she loves us." Edgar stared at her, uncomprehending. Then what had that kiss meant? What was she trying to tell him?...

"Well...night, then,"she said, smiling and waving at him one last time.

"...Goodnight,"he answered, weakly raising a hand and waving back. She hovered in the doorway for a mere second, carefully tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and quietly went back upstairs.

Edgar could only stand there in the center of the room for a moment, touching the spot where Shelley had kissed him, trying to remember the feeling of her lips on his skin and burn it into his memory. He closed his eyes, breathing in the sweet scent of her perfume still wavering faintly in the air, letting his heart swell with love. Until now, he had never felt capable of being loved back by someone as beautiful and amazing as Shelley Parker. But now, with the faint imprint of her kiss still on his cheek, and the memory of her bright, loving smile, he felt hopeful for the first time...


	14. Week 7: Family

AN: The chapter that was actually sort of pre-written was a little too out there for this stage of Edgar and Shelley's relationship, so instead...here's an irrelevant, not-at-all-an-excuse-to-buy-them-more-time TRANSITION CHAPTER! Ooooooooh!

EDITED

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><p>Week 7:Family<p>

Edgar and Shelley's relationship seemed to bloom overnight. Throughout the course of the next few days, they spent every moment together they could together. Shelley would come home from school and immediately tear Edgar away from whatever he was studying, much to Meredith's annoyance. Even still, Edgar was learning the material at a breakneck speed, and his English was improving especially quickly thanks to the tapes Shelley had recommended Meredith order.

"Mom, what website did you order these from?"Shelley asked when they opened the box.

"I don't remember. Amazon?"

"The British Broadcasting Company? Mom, you got him British learning tapes?"

"Whoops...well we could always return them,"she said, picking up the box and looking at it.

"No, it's fine. He'd be cute with a British accent, don't you think?" Meredith smiled and agreed while Edgar sat with them at the table, confused as to what British meant and why it was any different from any other kind of English.

Edgar struggled with the tapes at first, waiting impatiently for the British woman's voice to give him more complicated words and phrases. The hardest part was trying to retain the accent he heard when he turned the tapes off and spoke to Meredith or Shelley. He would often relapse into his own unique accent and become frustrated with himself. At night he would stay up in bed and listen to the tapes, repeating each phrase it gave to him in soft whispers so Dr. Parker or Meredith wouldn't wake up.

"Mom, are you sure this was a good idea to keep the BBC ones?"Shelley asked one day as Edgar crouched on the sofa, muttering phrases like a robot, "I don't know. He's starting to sound...kind of gay."

"Shelley!"

"What, I'm not saying anything bad! I'm just saying, the two accents combined - kind of weird."

"Just give it time, Shelley. It won't happen overnight." Edgar seemed to notice that they were talking. He took the earphones out of his ears and glanced up at Shelley.

"What did you say, Shelley?"he asked innocently.

"Nothing, forget it,"she said, "Hey, do you want to take a break?"

"Okay,"he said, smiling.

"No, no, now don't be a bad influence, Shelley. Edgar, I want you to practice for at least 20 more minutes, and then you can have a break."

"Mom, come on!"

"Come on what, Shelley? You two have been spending so much time together lately, I don't know how Edgar has even been able to get any studying in."

"Mom, are you joking? He's made it this far in less than two months, I think he can afford to slack off a bit."

"No slacking,"Meredith retorted seriously, turning to Edgar, "And please, dear. Sit properly." Edgar lowered his head but did as he was told, looking guiltily at the CD player. Meredith saw the look on his face and gently placed a hand on his shoulder, kissing his head in apology for being so harsh with him.

"We're all very proud of you sweetheart. But that's exactly why we don't want to slow down now. You have such wonderful potential, dear; we want to use it."

"I can't talk to Shelley?"he asked sadly.

"Not if it's going to distract you,"she answered. He caught Shelley's gaze for a moment, torn, then slowly dropped it. Meredith gently brushed her fingers over his shoulder and gave him another affectionate kiss on the head, then left the room. Shelley sighed loudly.

"You study way too much,"she said.

"Mrs. Parker right, though..."

"Well it sucks,"she replied, sighing once more, "I guess I can do my homework in here, at least."

"Okay,"Edgar said, beaming. At least they could be in the same room.

While Shelley went to go get her backpack, Edgar turned back to the tapes, dejectedly putting the earphones back in his ears.

"If Mom were here, she'd tell you to sit back and put your feet on the floor,"Shelley said, coming back down the stairs, "But I don't really care." Edgar frowned, caught in a moment of indecision, then finally sighed and sat down the way he was supposed to.

"Okay, math first...,"Shelley mumbled to herself, pulling out a textbook. They both sat in silence for a while, doing their own personal study.

"I finished the tape, Shelley,"Edgar announced after half an hour had passed, "Are you done?"

"No, I'm stuck on this problem. I remember I learned this a while ago, but I can't remember how to do it...Dumb reviews...,"she said, leaning over her textbook. Edgar approached her quietly, looking over her shoulder. To his surprise, he recognized the format of the problem.

"Mrs. Parker help me with that this yesterday. I can help you, if that okay..." Shelley turned to stare disbelievingly at him.

"You can help me? What kind of math are you studying?"she asked. Edgar was a little taken back by the incredulousness in her voice.

"I don't know name, but that slope, right?"

"You know how to find slopes?"Shelley asked disbelievingly, "You're already in algebra?"

"Just...beginners. Here, I show you,"he said, taking a seat next to her. She watched in amazement as he solved the problem for her, explaining the steps along the way.

"I can't believe you can do that...,"she said when he showed her the answer, "When you get to trigonometry- which, for you, will probably be next week - we're going to have to study together." Edgar smiled, pleased that he could help Shelley. He liked to make her happy.

Edgar helped her with a few more problems and then began getting stuck, and Shelley switched into the role of tutor and showed him how to do it. Edgar had already studied his mathematics for the day, but he didn't complain. Math was interesting and he got to be with her.

They finished Shelley's homework together, taking longer than it should have needed, but neither complained. Shelley shut her book and laid back against the couch.

"What do you want to do now?" He shrugged. He always let her decide what to do.

"Hmm...tell me something you think about a lot,"she said casually, trying to make conversation.

"Like a secret?"

"No, just something you like to think about." He thought about her a lot, but he would never say that.

"I think about... if I human,"he said instead. Shelley seemed surprised when he said this.

"You'd have to be. I mean a bat couldn't have given birth to you. Your mom would have had to be a giant."

"...I have a mother?"he asked, confused.

"Duh, everybody does."

"Does that mean I have a family?"

"You have one here. You have a mom and dad now, just like me. We're your family."

"Mrs. Parker and Dr. Parker...my mother and father?"he asked quizzically.

"Well, they're the closest thing you're going to get to it, so yeah, they might as well be." Edgar was quiet for a moment when she said this.

"I like Mrs. Parker for a mother...,"he finally said, looking down as if he were confessing something inappropriate.

"What about dads?"she asked.

"They don't seem that great. All they do is go to work."

"That's just because the only father image you've had is my dad, and that's all he does."

"But that's what all dads do, isn't it?"he asked, "That's what they do in all the books I've read."

"...I guess so,"she said slowly, "You probably just don't know because you and my dad aren't as close, but they do lovey-dovey stuff, too."

"What does that mean?"he asked.

"You know, like one-on-one time with your parents. The parents you grew up with were animals, so they probably weren't very affectionate, were they?"she asked. At first a flare of defensiveness flew up inside Edgar. Then slowly he calmed down as he realized that she had not meant it offensively.

"I-it different. Humans different. They love more...,"he said, flushing because he was struggling so much to describe what he meant. He didn't know how to explain to her the difference between animals and humans. Animals lived on intuition. Humans lived on emotions. They were completely different mind sets.

"I'm not sure I get it..."

"I...I've never had anyone care for me...just for me, not because they had to, because I was part of their family. With bat, I belong, and I needed, but I not...wanted..." He stopped, blushing bright red and fidgeting nervously, knowing he had said too much. He quickly looked down, turning his head away from Shelley.

"...You don't need to be embarrassed,"Shelley said. Edgar looked tentively up at her, feeling ashamed for saying so much, for assuming he really did have a place in this family that he did not deserve to be a part of.

"I-I don't know if I'm making sense. I just...feel different here. I feel special, and accepted...even though I'm different. I never felt like that before. It's just...different. I don't know how to explain it."

"...No, I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah,"she said softly, laughing, "Wow, when I asked you what you like to think about, I thought you were going to say something totally boring."

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize. I've never really talked to a guy like this before. I've never had a friend who was quite as intellectual as you are."

"What does intellectual mean?"he asked.

"Like you like to think about things. You talk about your ideas and your opinions and stuff like that and you don't just wait for other people to tell you the answer. It's really cool, actually. I was never like that."

"...Thank you,"he said, lowering his head so she wouldn't see him smile so happily, "Um...so...what do _you_ like to think about?" She hesitated, thinking for a moment. She liked to think about spending her time with Edgar instead of Rick. She liked to think about Edgar, his shyness around her, what it meant, how hard he was trying to be accepted, how hard he was trying to be the perfect friend for her. She flushed suddenly, not really realizing she did think of all this so much until it was called to her attention. Edgar didn't seem to notice, though.

"I just think about...school a lot,"she lied, not looking Edgar in the eye. She couldn't bear to see the look of disappoint on his face.

"Oh,"he said softly. They dissolved into silence then. Shelley could feel her heart ache with words she wanted to say to him, secret thoughts that had been arising in her heart lately that confused her and left her breathless or jittery. They were all about him, about wanting to make him happy and feel accepted, about wanting to spend time with him more and more, not just because she had to, about even sometimes wondering what it would be like to kiss him. These were the things she thought about constantly, not the lie she had told him.

Edgar's ears suddenly perked up.

"I think there is someone at the door,"Edgar suddenly said. Sure enough, a second later, the doorbell rang. Shelley cast Edgar a quizzical look.

"Do you have super hearing or something?"she asked.

"Maybe,"he said unsurely. She heard the knock again and stood up to go answer the door. She was surprised when she saw Rick on her front porch. She knew this was serious if Rick had willingly walked all the way to her house. He would never do that unless he was truly desperate. He had even objected to walking her home when she had first started helping Edgar.

"Hey,"he said, his hands stuffed in his pockets, "You didn't call me back." Shelley had to wait a while to remember he had called to ask her to come over two days ago. She had deleted the message and forgotten all about it.

"Yeah, well, Edgar's improving a lot faster than we thought he would, so I've been busy helping him." She could tell Rick was affected by this.

"It's always about him,"he said, rolling his eyes, "So are you mad at me or something?"

"No,"she lied. Though neither of them noticed, Edgar had appeared at the window, looking out at them both.

"My mom let me have the car back,"he said.

"Good for you,"she said without emotion in her voice.

"That was kind of an invitation, Shell."

"Yeah, I kind of figured,"she answered dryly.

"So are you coming over or not?"he asked, a biting tone to his voice.

"You didn't exactly give me a warning. I'm kind of busy right now."

"You choosing that thing over me, then?"

"I'm not choosing anyone over anyone, Rick. I'm just busy."

"I'm getting really sick of this bat boy stuff,"he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Well I'm getting sick of your attitude,"she said simply. Rick fell silent when she said this, staring at her with a strange look on his face.

"Ruthie woke up a couple days ago,"he said suddenly.

"Yeah? She's better then?"

"She said she hated that monster and that she wants him dead,"he said evenly, staring intently at Shelley, "You tell your little freak that."

"You really came over here just to tell me that?"

"No, I came over to bring you back to my place,"he said.

"You really expect me to come over when you show up, slam Edgar, and then ask me out?"she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"You were always willing before."

"Yeah, well, things change."

"Would it help if I said sorry?"he asked.

"Yeah, probably."

"I'm sorry then,"he said, but the words sounded robotic when they left his tongue, impassive and not at all heartfelt. Even so, Shelley's face softened slightly.

"Okay, fine. Maybe some other time, Rick. I really am busy. When things calm down, maybe,"she replied, softer now, bitter inside that he didn't really feel sorry but willing to acknowledge that he had at least said it. Rick stood there for a while, analyzing her promise.

"Okay...,"he said softly, looking down, and for a moment Shelley could see a flash of sorrow in his eyes, maybe even regret. A long silence fell between them, and for a while Shelley didn't know what to say or do to fix this.

"...I'm not mad if you're not,"she said finally, her voice soft and non-accusing as she looked up at him.

"Alright,"he answered softly, "We're good then, right?"

"Yeah, of course,"she answered, forcing a weak smile. He leaned in hesitantly and kissed her goodbye, more for the sake of keeping up the routine than anything else. She didn't even care. She watched him as he turned back and began walking. Shelley didn't look back. She closed the door behind her and went straight back to the living room. She was surprised to see Edgar there, sitting at the window, his face sad and somewhat torn at the sight of Rick kissing Shelley like that. He had thought maybe he would be used to it by now, but watching it had only reopened fresh wounds. He looked up at her when she came in, trying to read something in her expression, but she seemed completely normal. Even still, he felt a question he had always been too embarrassed to ask rise up inside him until finally, he was ready to say it.

"Shelley, what kissing for?"he asked suddenly, turning to her.

"I...I don't... you were watching us?"she snapped angrily. He flinched back at the anger in her voice.

"I-I'm sorry,"he mumbled, cowering, "I-I just want to understand why people do that. I remember you said it for giving affection. But...what kind?" Shelley expression softened.

"Well...he's kind of my boyfriend, so that's why we kiss. That means we're closer, and we care about each other more than most people. And since we're a couple, we kiss on the lips. That's what couples do. But you only kiss people on the lips when you really really like them, and in a romantic way." Shelley's face was beat red, but she was looking at the ground in a thoughtful kind of way as she realized that everything she had just told Edgar didn't apply to her relationship anymore.

"Kiss mean different things in other places?"he asked.

"Well yeah. Like kissing on the lips is the most affectionate. Boys and girls only kiss people on the lips when they really, really like them and care deeply about them," she explained, trying to bury her thoughts of Rick long enough to explain it to Edgar. She just prayed he wouldn't take this conversation further. She was already uncomfortable.

Luckily, he didn't. He looked down at his hands, feeling a tight knot form in his stomach. Now he understood why Shelley kissed that boy, and why it hurt him so much to watch - because it was clearly an expression of love and affection that he had wanted to share with her for so long. In the deepest depths of his heart he wondered if there was any way Shelley, or any girl for that matter, would ever care about him that deeply and want that sort of intimacy with him. But surely he was just too different. Yet even though he believed this, he couldn't help but look at Shelley and secretly wonder if he would ever know what it felt like to be loved and cared for the same way he did for her. He wondered what it would be like to share that sort of relationship with Shelley, what it would be like to have someone kiss him on the lips. He felt hope rise up in him, no matter how hard he tried to push it back down - hope that maybe Shelley felt the same about him, hope that maybe she did care about him as much as he cared for her, hope that maybe there was something about him that she could love. In his deepest most secret thoughts, he wondered what it would be like to be kissed for the very first time...

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><p>AN: Yeah, you know what's coming.<p> 


	15. Week 8: Camping

AN: This chapter turned out to be over 7,500 words, and I thought that might be just a _little_ heavy, so I split it up. So when you get to the end, don't wait! KEEP GOING! PRESS THAT BUTTON! 0(o_o)0

EDITED

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><p>Week 8:Camping<p>

When Edgar finally finished the last tape, he started over and went through them all over again. He was growing intellectually every day. By now he had mastered basic algebra, some basic science, general grammar structure, and at least most of American history. He struggled with geography, having no concept of what the world looked like, and English, for obvious reasons. He struggled with history as well, feeling overwhelmed with the amount of information there was to take in. Shelley tried to help him, making flash cards for him, retelling the history through stories that he would understand. Meredith was his motivator, pushing him to keep going when he thought it was impossible. Even Thomas would help sometimes when he came home.

Edgar began to take a sudden interest in reading - not just his textbooks, but the classics. Shelley brought out her collection of required reading English books that had been built up over the years and let him dive into them as he pleased. He realized he loved reading, more even than spending time outside or studying(though not nearly as much as spending time with Shelley). He would pour into a book, reading at his usual slow pace, but with time, and without really even realizing it, gradually speeding up until he could read a novel a day. His readings brought not only a greater appreciation for other subjects, but also helped to introduce him to the outside world. Through books, he could study human behavior, see what made people tick, and understand relationships. Sometimes this understanding made him feel even more scared around Shelley, because he didn't know how to apply what he read in real life. He didn't know how to act around her anymore. He didn't know what to think when she came into his room and talked with him, or invited him into hers. He just wanted so much for her to like him even a fraction of what he did for her. Surely she must a little; certainly he was justified to hope he was capable of being loved...

By the end of the week, Shelley felt he was going overboard. She did not understand his appeal for reading and thought he needed a break. She offered to sneak him out again, but Edgar would only look down and mumble something about disrespecting Mrs. Parker. But it didn't matter. Shelley had thought of a better idea.

Friday night, Shelley came into the living room and found Edgar at his usual spot, reading.

"Hey, I have a surprise for you,"she said, tapping him on the shoulder.

"What is it?"he asked, barely looking up.

"Are you reading the Bible again?"she asked, looking over his shoulder to see what he was reading.

"Mrs. Parker helped me the first time. I want to read it by myself,"he answered.

"Take a break. Come on, I planned something really cool to do tonight. You're going to love it."

"What is it?"he asked, finally closing the book. She just smiled and grabbed his hand, pulling him up.

"Come on!"Shelley called, pulling him by the wrist.

"What's going on?"he asked.

"It's a surprise!"she said, leading him through the kitchen, to the back door.

"Shelley, Mrs. Parker says I'm not allowed to go outside unless she's watching me,"he said, pulling Shelley back.

"Relax, I asked my mom beforehand if this was okay, and she said we could. Besides, you're not unsupervised - you'll be with me,"she said, opening the back door, "Close your eyes!" He obediently closed his eyes, and slowly she led him outside, guiding him by the wrist.

"Okay...open!"she said. He opened his eyes, and for a minute he didn't know what he was looking at. The backyard looked exactly the same, except for a strange object sitting in the middle of the grass. After a moment, Edgar recognized it as a tent.

"We're going to sleep outside tonight!"Shelley explained, seeing his confused expression.

"In...there?"he asked.

"Yeah, like camping."

"Camping?"

"You know, when you pitch a tent and roast marshmellows and tell scary stories. Only my mom said we can't make a fire, and obviously we can't leave the backyard...but we can do everything else!" Edgar continued to stare at the tent in stupefied silence, then slowly he broke out into a smile.

"Come on!"Shelley laughed, taking him by the hand and pulling him on the grass, "It'll be fun, I promise!" He followed her to the tent and watched her zip it open. He had seen tents in books but had never understood the function of them. That was, until she pulled him inside.

Edgar had never seen such a strange thing in his life before. It was as if he was inside a house made of paper walls. With every breath of wind, the walls would move eerily. It was dark inside the tent until Shelley lit an electric lantern beside them.

"Pretty cool, huh?"she asked.

"It's so different...,"he said, making a full circle.

"It's really fun, I promise,"she said reassuringly, handing him a bag filled with what looked like white fluffy balls, "Here, try some."

"What are they?"he asked, staring curiously at the bag.

"Marshmellows. You put them on graham crackers and chocolate and make s'mores." Edgar stared at the bag, not knowing what any of those things were but not wanting to ask so many questions, either. He waited until Shelley put a hand in the bag and popped one into her mouth. Then he understood that this was human food.

"No, thank you,"he said politely.

"What? Come on, it's all part of the experience,"she insisted.

"I'm full,"he said quickly, "Thank you, though."

"Okay, but that means you're going to have to sit through one more scary story than you would have. I don't care how scared you get,"she teased, putting another in her mouth.

"How are stories scary?"he asked. He had never heard of a story being scary. When he was first learning how to read, Mrs. Parker would read him stories and try to make him read them back, but those stories were never scary.

"Want to hear one?"she asked. He nodded. Shelley sat down and he copied her, waiting as she looked for a flashlight and turned off the lantern.

She began diving into tales of fictional suspense and danger. Edgar listened, sometimes missing the impact of the punch line because he didn't understand some things, but for the most part the scenes she painted for him were so ridiculous and obviously fictional he had no problem keeping calm. He couldn't fathom how blood could be scary in any way, and he didn't understand what ghosts or demons were.

"Shelley, where did you hear these stories from?"he asked when she finished one about a girl found dead in her bathroom.

"Oh well that one happened to one of our neighbors down the street."

"What?"he asked, truly panicking now.

"Kidding, Edgar,"she laughed, "I heard them all from my friends. None of them really happened."

"Oh...okay,"he said, trying not to sound too relieved.

"Have you had enough?"she asked.

"Um...maybe more later,"he said, trying not to sound uninterested. Shelley seemed to get the hint, though.

"Okay. Let's go outside!"

Shelley pulled a blanket out of the tent and set it down on the grass. She then instructed Edgar to lay down on it, and he obeyed, confused, but trusting she knew what she was doing. He was surprised when she laid down next to him, so close that their shoulders were just barely touching. He felt his heart flutter as her skin brushed over his on accident. He could smell her, her bare skin just inches away from his, so accessible and tempting...

"Look up at the stars,"she said, pointing up to the sky and breaking him from his thoughts, "My dad and I used to do this when I was little. We would just lie here all night, looking at them." Edgar stared up at the dark night sky, watching in amazement as the bright lights filled his vision.

"It's beautiful...,"he whispered softly.

"I know, right?"she said, smiling as she turned her head to look at him.

"All those dots...are stars?"he asked her.

"Yup, all of them,"she said, looking back up. Edgar had read about stars. He understood how complex they were, but he had never taken the time to appreciate them until now.

"I never imagined the universe was this big...,"he suddenly whispered, still staring transfixed at the dark sky, "I never imagined there was life outside my cave." Shelley turned her head to stare at him.

"...Did you ever wonder if there were other people like you?"she asked softly.

"I always wondered. I couldn't comprehend it, though. I thought I was the only one,"he whispered.

"That sounds pretty lonely, to think you're the only person in the world." He shrugged indifferently, dropping his eyes.

"It wasn't, though. I couldn't have felt lonely, because I would have never known there was any other way. I wasn't happy, but I wasn't sad, though, either. I just...was."

"But you're happy here, right?"she asked softly. He turned his head around to look at her.

"I never even knew what happiness was until I came here,"he replied with a small smile.

"Are you happy now?"she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. He felt heat rushing up to his face.

"I'm always happy with you here,"he answered. She smiled shyly when he said this, blushing a little. He didn't say anything for a while, just laid there and stared at her wonderingly, letting his eyes explore every plane of her face.

"...Why are you staring at me like that?"Shelley suddenly asked.

"Oh...sorry,"he said quickly, feeling guilty for looking at her like that and quickly looking down. When he glanced back up at her, their gaze met and held, and for a moment neither knew how to break away.

"Is it okay if I hold your hand, Shelley?"he asked innocently, glancing shyly up at her. That was so like him, she thought. He had always been that way, though. He was so careful around her, asking if it was okay if he could hug her goodnight or help her with her homework(he was doing more of that, lately), or even if he could simply ask her something that was on his mind. Maybe that was her mother's doing, or maybe he was just naturally polite. Either way, she loved that about him.

"You don't have to ask,"she replied softly, saying this only because she knew he always would. Gently he took the hand closest to him and laced his fingers in hers. She hesitated for a moment, concentrating on the feel of his rough, scabbed hand in her small, soft one.

"You know...most guys wouldn't even ask if that was okay...,"she whispered softly, meeting his gaze, "They wouldn't even care how I felt about it..." Edgar stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to say more.

"...Well they should care how you feel...,"he finally said when she didn't say anything.

"Guys just don't do that, though. They just...push and lie and pretend they care because they just want to take advantage of the girl,"she said, a biting tone to her words. Edgar stared at her, confused now.

"Take...advantage? What does that mean?"he asked.

"You know, have sex with her,"she explained, then seeing that he still looked confused, continued, "Like mating, only just for the pleasure part." Edgar began to feel uncomfortable holding her hand when she was explaining things like this, but he didn't want to let go.

"I would never do that to you, Shelley...,"he said softly, concerned now because he thought she was talking about him, "You're my friend..." He neglected to mention he didn't really understand what exactly she was talking about. He knew that mating was how bats made babies, and he knew what sexual intercourse was from books - the basic definition anyway - but that was the extent of his understanding. He had always wondered, but he was too embarrassed to ask Dr. Parker, and he certainly wasn't about to ask Shelley.

"Oh, no, I wasn't talking about you, Edgar,"she said apologetically, "I'm just talking about...guys in general...It doesn't matter, though."

"It sounds like it matters,"he said, gently squeezing her hand like Mrs. Parker often would to him, "...Can I help in any way?"he asked slowly. She shook her head without saying anything.

"But I want to help you...,"he insisted, "You're always helping me. It's my turn."

"Edgar, that's nice of you, but there's really nothing you can do,"she said quietly, "You don't even know what's going on."

"Then tell me. I'll try to understand." Slowly he sat up, supporting himself on his elbows. He stared expentently at her, waiting for her to say something. She thought for a moment, remembering how Rick had made fun of Edgar, how much she could have said to him, but didn't. She could have just ended it there, at her door last week, any time during this week when he had called and she had simply let it go to voicemail. She could have told him he was a jerk, or an ugly freak, to tell him she wasn't okay with him treating Edgar that way...but she didn't.

"It's hard to explain...,"she finally confessed, not looking at Edgar, but straight ahead, "Everybody's always thought of me as the blonde, ditsy, empty-minded one, and... they're right. I don't know how to think for myself. I don't know how to stand up for myself, either. I just kind of let people have their way, and...I don't know. I guess... I just feel kind of stupid and weak..." Edgar stared at her, watching her as she stared fixedly at the sky, afraid to look him in the eye, as if this confession was something to be ashamed of.

"Shelley...you're not,"he finally whispered, shaking his head.

"You're just saying that. You don't know any better,"she mumbled.

"Shelley, how can that be true? You taught me so much. You're the smartest person I've ever met,"he said softly, staring at her so intensely that she felt forced to turn her head to look at him, "I look up to you because you're strong."

"...You do?"she asked softly, finally meeting his gaze.

"Of course I do,"he replied, surprised that she was seriously questioning this, "I always have."

"Why? You're like way smarter than me. You're like a baby who doesn't know anything, and you're still better than me at everything. You actually think, and use your head. You have no idea how badly I wish I could be like that."

"...Well, you're not awkward as I am. You walk and talk much better than I do. Besides, I wouldn't be as far without you,"he said, "I think you're perfect, Shelley. You're perfect to me." He blushed a little, and he was grateful for the darkness so she couldn't see it. She looked down, feeling awkward now.

"...Thanks, Edgar,"she said softly. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly leaned over and gently kissed him on the cheek. He froze in shock and surprise, not knowing what to do or how to react. When she pulled away he carefully glanced up to meet her gaze, trying not to let his feelings show in front of her.

"What was that for?"he asked.

"Just...for making me feel better,"she said, shrugging. He looked down, avoiding her. He felt her stare bore into his head, and he didn't like it. He felt like she could see right through him, that she could see how uncomfortable he felt whenever she showed him any displays of affection. He didn't know how to react or what to think. Was this a sign? Was he supposed to do something? Panic turned to shyness, and once again, he felt slow and awkward.

"Why do you do that?"she suddenly asked.

"Do what?"he asked quietly, looking down even though his head was level with hers.

"You do nice things for me all the time, but when I try and thank you or do something nice back, you get all shy and won't look at me,"she said softly, not accusingly. He didn't say anything to her. Instead he just sat there in silence, knowing it was true, but not willing to recognize it.

"Why are you embarrassed? I just kissed you on the cheek. It's no big deal." Still, Edgar would not say anything. He did not know how to explain that her kiss had made his heart shudder like an earthquake with happiness, and at the same time gripped him with a suffocating pain, because he didn't know how to tell her what he was feeling. He looked down, feeling shy and painfully unsure of himself. Secretly he felt hopeful; maybe she did like him after all; maybe this was indeed a sign. He wanted to believe that. Maybe this was a deciding moment for him...maybe now was the time he should tell her, and maybe he would find out that she had, all along, felt the same for him.

"It's a big deal to me,"he finally mumbled, picking at a spot in the blanket.

"Why? It doesn't even count as a kiss."

"...Why not?"

"Why not? Because it's not a_ real_ kiss!"she said, laughing lightly. He hated when she laughed at him. It made him feel so stupid.

"Why is it different?"he asked, trying not to let his annoyance show.

"What? Edgar, you know what a kiss is, right? Come here,"she said, suddenly, without warning, leaning in and pressing her lips to his, "That's a kiss. But that wouldn't count because it's not like I would actually _want_ to kiss you for real. I mean I don't actually like you or anything like that." She stopped when she saw the look on his face. His face twisted and crumpled for a brief second, and he quickly looked down so she wouldn't be able to see it. But it was too late.

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><p>AN: PRESS DA BUTTON!<p> 


	16. Week 8: Reconciliation

AN: Everybody needs to have at least one temper tantrum in his/her life.

EDITED

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><p>Week 8:Reconciliation<p>

Edgar felt his heart shatter inside him in a matter of seconds. Without warning tears sprung to his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. Suddenly all his hope and confidence was gone, instead turned to shame and humiliation. He felt so stupid, so angry at himself. He had let himself believe that maybe Shelley could learn to like him the way he liked her, but now he knew the truth. Shelley had said it plainly enough. Even his best friend could not find it in her heart to love someone like him. He really was a freak - nothing more than an animal. The kiss he had dreamed so fondly of was not in any way affectionate; it was cold and unfeeling. He was stupid for hoping for any better, though. Nobody would ever want to kiss him for real.

"Edgar...Edgar, wait, I'm so sorry, that was really stupid of me. I didn't even think...,"she said quickly, "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?" He suddenly stood up, turning his face away from her. He didn't want to see how much she had hurt him.

"I'm getting really tired, Shelley. I'd like to go to bed, now,"he said softly.

"Edgar, wait! I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking! It's just it's not as big of a deal to me and I"-

"It's okay. I understand,"he interrupted, climbing into the tent. She followed after him and switched on the lanturn, filling the tent with a soft golden light.

"Edgar, I'm so sorry."

"I forgive you,"he said dryly, unrolling his sleeping bag and throwing a pillow at the end of it without looking at her, "Thank you for showing me camping, Shelley. Goodnight."

"No, I'm not letting you sleep until you tell me why you're mad at me!"she persisted.

"I'm not mad, I'm just tired."

"Well, you sound mad."

"I'm _tired_, Shelley. Besides, you were right,"he whispered tightly, turning his back to her, "It's not like any of it counted for anything."

"Edgar, come on, please...I feel so retarded. I didn't think. I've just gotten so used to"-

"Shelley, I don't want to hear about all of the boys you've been with,"he suddenly snapped. Shelley stared at him, taken aback. She had never heard him use that tone of voice before.

"Geez, I was just going to say I was used to being open with you around. You don't need to be so mean,"she said a little angrily after a tense moment of silence, "And for your information, Rick is my first boyfriend."

"Please...I just want to go to bed,"he mumbled.

"I don't get it. What's your deal? Why are you so mad at me?"

"I'm not..."

"Well then why'd you say that? That was really rude. You are angry, admit it."

"What makes you think I'm angry?"he asked, getting irritated. He felt anger build up inside him, but it wasn't fueled by hunger. It was being fueled by self-loathing.

"Because! You can't even ask that and look me in the eye! You're angry!"

"I'm _not_ angry, Shelley!"

"Yes, you are!"

"Stop it! No, I'm not!"

"YES YOU ARE! Admit it!"

"Shelley, please stop!"he shouted, standing.

"No! Not until you admit you're angry!"

"I'M. NOT. ANGRY!"

"YES YOU ARE!" Edgar couldn't take it anymore.

"FINE, THEN! I'm angry!"he shouted, startling her with the volume and harshness of his voice, "I'm angry because you make me feel so pathetic and stupid sometimes, Shelley! I'm angry because I care about you _so_ much, and it doesn't even matter to you! Do you think I want to be told that that wasn't a big deal, that you never actually cared about me? Well I'm sorry if I annoy you and I mess up and do everything wrong all the time, and I'm sorry I'm so stupid and I don't understand a lot of what you say, but everything we've been doing together these last few weeks _has_ counted to me, and it's meant so much to me to have a friend for the first time in my life! I'm sorry I was so ignorant that I just assumed that would have meant something to you too!" He couldn't continue for a moment. Shelley waited for him to say more, watching as tears of frustration and self-loathing filled his eyes. The sight startled her. She had never imagined Edgar, a boy who seemed to wear a permanent smile on his face every moment, could ever be capable of shedding tears.

"But more than that, I'm angry that you complain about it all coming so easily to you, when I struggle every day just to pretend to be normal! Who would ever want to kiss someone as gross and unnatural as a bat boy anyway!"he finally continued, his face strained as he struggled to control himself, "You don't look in the mirror everyday and see that you look completely different from the people you're trying to be like! You don't know what it's like to be ugly; you don't know what it's like knowing that no human or bat would ever look at you the way I've seen you looking at that boy, or knowing nobody would ever want to kiss you because they actually _wanted_ to! I know it was presumptuous of me, but you made me feel like none of that mattered! But I get it now! I know I'm not normal, and I know it was silly of me to even hope that you could see past that! I'm sorry I'm not as experienced as you, and I'm sorry I don't look more like you, but...but if you had any idea how badly I secretly hoped and wished that my first time...it would be because someone actually..._wanted_ to..."

Edgar couldn't finish. He didn't even wait to see Shelley's reaction. Hiding his face in his hands, he turned abruptly and slung the blankets over his head and pinned the edges together, locking himself in the safe confines of darkness. Shelley sat there in stupified silence for a long time, not knowing what to say or do. She had never heard Edgar yell at anybody in his life. But more than that, she had never heard Edgar use those words before. 'Disgusting freak?' 'Annoying and stupid'? Since when had her mother ever taught him to describe anything so negatively? Then with a pang of guilt, she remembered what her mother had said nearly two months ago._ 'He learned that from you, Shelley.'_

She really was an idiot. He really had understood her that entire time. Had she really just assumed that just because they were friends now, that he had simply forgotten that she had once called him a gross, disgusting freak? Did those words echo softly in the back of his mind every time he looked at himself in the mirror?

She looked down at her hands for a moment, feeling her heart break with pity and guilt, knowing she had caused this pain. She had never known. She had never known someone as sweet, selfless, and affectionate could possibly be capable of jealousy and bitterness. She had never imagined someone she admired and looked up to so much could think so little of himself.

"Edgar...Edgar, please come out,"she finally whispered softly, gently nudging his shoulder.

No answer.

"Edgar...please,"she tried again, biting her lip. When he didn't respond, she quietly stood up and went over to the other side of his sleeping bag, laying down next to him. His face was hidden in the blankets, but she didn't care. Gently she took him into her arms and held him close to her, burning under the blankets stuck between them, but not letting go. He shuddered in her arms, and she wondered if he was crying too.

"Edgar...,"she whispered softly, hugging him tighter, "I'm so, so sorry. You're right. I totally hurt your feelings, and I was awful for saying that to you. I'm sorry, Edgar. Please forgive me..." He didn't say anything for a long time. Shelley continued to hold him, waiting for him to say something, anything.

Finally, in a stiff voice, muffled through the blankets, he mumbled softly, "I'm sorry I yelled at you, Shelley...I didn't mean to."

"You don't need to apologize for that. I deserved it,"she answered softly, "Edgar...please come out. I want to tell you something." She waited for a moment as Edgar tried to decide if he really wanted to come out or not. Finally he slowly pulled off the blanket, his face turned downward as he tried to sit up. Shelley stared at him, trying to read something in his expression, but with only the dim light of the electric lanturn, she couldn't tell if what she saw was sadness or resentment.

"Edgar...I know you probably won't believe this, but...I didn't actually think you were ugly when you first came here,"she began softly, making him look up, "I know I said you were a lot, and...well, I didn't say it because you were unattractive or anything. I know it must have seemed that way, but it wasn't. I just thought it was weird at first, how different you acted. But after a while it didn't seem so weird anymore, and I got used to it...I just...wanted you to know that, for starters. I never thought you were ugly, Edgar. You're really handsome...and you shouldn't think otherwise. So don't think things like that. You're not disgusting or gross, or anything else you think you are, not even close." Edgar lowered his head so she wouldn't see his face flush with shame and embarrassment, remaining completely silent. Shelley stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something. But nobody said anything. Finally Shelley heaved in a deep breath and suddenly took his hands in her own.

"You know what? Forget it. I'm just going to tell you the complete truth, even if it sounds kind of weird. Edgar, you've worked way too hard to still believe all the things you said. Edgar, you are beautiful. I know that sounds weird, but I mean it - you are the most amazing person I've ever met in my entire life, and I know for a fact that any other girl would feel the same. You're kind and affectionate; you always think of others before yourself, you don't bring others down to get what you want, and you don't make dumb assumptions like I do. You're the definition of a perfect guy, and I don't think there's one girl out there who couldn't fall madly in love with you if they gave you a chance, Edgar. It's...impossible. You're not capable of being unloved. And I know one day you're going to find someone amazing who deserves you, and she's going to be the luckiest girl in the world to have you...So don't talk like you're worth any less just because you look a little different, because I love that you're different." Edgar just sat there, her hands still gently holding his. He stared into her eyes, finding only love and concern hidden in her eyes, but even then he refused to believe he saw it.

"...Thank you, Shelley,"he finally whispered, dropping his eyes in embarrassment, but smiling shyly nonetheless. She smiled in relief, simply staring at him for a moment, never breaking eye contact with him. Maybe it was the light, but for some reason it dawned on her just then that he really was handsome.

"You're welcome...,"she replied softly,"And...just for the record...I know it seems like I'm way more experienced with guys and everything, but to tell you the truth...I'm really not. I mean, I've liked a lot of guys, but honestly, I'm not as experienced as you think I am. If I sound overconfident, it's only because I just got so used to being the more experienced one to you. So don't be afraid of being any more of a loser than I am...it's okay. I really am just...average."

"You're anything but average, Shelley,"he whispered softly. Shelley stared at him for a moment, realizing their hands were still interlocked and quickly dropping her arms, blushing.

"Thank you,"he said softly, smiling gently, "That...makes me feel a little better, actually. Is that bad?"

"No,"she laughed lightly, glancing back up at him, "I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think it would make you feel better."

"...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm so jealous of you, Shelley,"he whispered softly, to her surprise, "I know it's wrong..." They were quiet for a while, then Shelley slowly leaned in and pulled him into her arms.

"I really do love you, Edgar,"she said softly.

"Really?"he asked softly, feeling his heart swell with relief and happiness.

"Of course,"she said, laughing lightly, "I'm so sorry for everything. I really don't understand how you could possibly be jealous of me, but...I'm glad you told me how you feel. Can I make it up to you?"

"You don't have to, Shelley,"he said softly, shaking his head, "I'm not angry."

"But I want to...,"she said. She thought a moment, then slowly lifted her head, meeting his gaze.

"Here...,"she said, moving a little closer to him and gently placing her hand back on the side of his face.

"What are you doing?"he asked, leaning back without thinking.

"This is how your first kiss should have gone..." Edgar froze, staring blankly at her. She didn't really know why she had said it. The thought simply came to mind on an impulse, but now that it was out, it felt like the right thing to do.

"W-what?"

"It was just an idea. I mean...it's just most people make a big deal about their first kiss, and yours was kind of lame. I'd feel bad if that was it..." Edgar didn't really know what to say. Part of him was slightly relieved to hear her say that it was normal for people to wonder about their first kiss, because he had often dreamed of what it would be like to kiss Shelley and had always felt guilty about it afterwards, not knowing if that was normal to think of Shelley like that. But she was offering now, after waiting so long, and he barely knew how to accept it.

"I-I don't know how...,"he mumbled pathetically, feeling his stomach churn with nervousnesss now, "I don't think I'll be good at it..."

"Oh...well, it's okay. I'll help you,"she said, scooting a little closer to him. Shelley waited a moment for him to collect his bearings, capturing his gaze and looking intently into his eyes.

Edgar could feel his heart pounding inside his chest, and he was afraid she would be able to hear it. He watched the lanturn light flicker over her skin, casting her face in a warm golden light. Every fiber of his being tingled with nervousness, but he tried not to let it show. The air between them felt charged; there was tension waiting to be released.

They came together slowly, tentively, testing each other's boundaries. Edgar followed Shelley's example, tilting his head to the side a little bit and closing his eyes as they came closer and closer. He didn't have time to make sure he was still going for the right spot. Their lips met, and everything on his mind disappeared. Her lips were soft against his, so soft he thought he would melt into them. He didn't push against her; he just wanted to feel the brush of her lips on his. Even in his wildest dreams, he could never have imagined her lips felt this soft against his, her breath so sweet. He could feel her hand gently touch his cheek after a while, sweeping her fingers along his cheekbone. Slowly he raised a hand to copy her, carefully sweeping away a stray piece of hair and touching her in such intimate ways he had never imagined someone like him would ever dream of being allowed to touch.

The kiss lasted longer than either one of them had intended it to be. Edgar seemed to lose track of time as they kissed, their lips now sliding over each others, increasingly passionate, dangerously intimate. Shelley finally pulled back, blushing because she had let it get so far. She thought he wouldn't be able to see in the darkness, but of course he did. They stared awkwardly at each other, waiting for the other to say something to break the silence.

"Um...Thank you,"Edgar finally said, "That was...nice." She smiled weakly, slowly raising her eyes to meet his. This time, he did not look down in shame and discomfort, but looked her back in the eye and smiled.

"You're welcome...,"she mumbled awkwardly, though that wasn't at all what she wanted to say. She could tell he wanted to say something too. She could see Edgar's pain written on his face, betraying the longing he kept hidden deep in his heart. She knew his feelings for her. She would often sense him staring at her for long periods of time, watching his face light up the second she walked in the room, or feel his gaze linger on her instead of on his homework. She had known for a long time, but she didn't know how to react to it. She didn't know what to tell him. She didn't even know what she was feeling.

"Well...I guess we probably should go to bed,"she said instead, laughing nervously.

"Okay." Without asking her if she needed help, he helpled her unroll her sleeping bag, his fingers slow and clumsy over the unfamiliar notches and strings.

"Shoot, the blanket we used outside is all wet now...,"she muttered to herself as she reached out of the tent and felt it.

"Would you like my blanket, Shelley?"he asked.

"No, it's okay, I'll be alright,"she said, even though goosbumps could be seen on her arm, "Besides, you said you hate the cold because it reminds you of your cave." He was surprised she remembered that.

"But I don't want you to be cold,"he replied simply, "I'm used to the cold. You have it."

"You sure?"she asked, accepting the blanket slowly, still feeling awkward with the memory of their kiss, "It's no big deal." He nodded insistently, pushing it toward her until finally, she accepted it. They both mumbled an awkward goodnight to each other and scrambled into their sleeping bags, letting their thoughts wander as they pleased.

Shelley could feel her cheeks burning under the blankets. She couldn't get her mind off that kiss. It had felt so different with Edgar than with Rick. It was as if electricity had shot through them both, charging the air. She felt her hands trembling with excitement. She had never felt this way with any other boy. She found herself wondering what it would have been like if they had gone a little further, if she could only catch the taste of his lips on her tongue...

What was she thinking? How could she be thinking like this, dreaming of kissing and touching and doing things she would never consider doing with anybody else? And yet...she couldn't help but feel as if she was falling in love with this strange boy who did and said such strange things and yet spoke so politely, showed his affection so reservedly, and was secretly ashamed of the animal side of him that she loved.

"...Edgar?"she suddenly whispered, wihout thinking, driven by this new realization, "It's still really cold. I feel really bad for making you give up your blanket. Do you want to come over here and we can share it?" Edgar was quiet for a long time, and for a moment Shelley wondered if he had already fallen asleep.

Then in a quiet voice, he carefully asked her, "...Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Totally. We're just keeping warm,"she replied, trying to make her voice sound casual.

"Okay...,"he replied softly, standing and bringing the sleeping bag closer to her. Shelley had the covers pulled over her eyes, but she could feel his presence, his feet somewhere near her head as he carefully rearranged his sleeping bag next to her. She felt him lie down next to her, his back turned purposely to her. She threw the blanket over them both, connecting them, pulling them both under the safety of the large wool blanket.

"Are you warm enough?"she asked, snuggling up to him.

"Yes. Thank you, Shelley,"he said, trying to sound sincere when they could both tell he sounded strangely nervous now, as if they were doing something indecent, "Goodnight..."

"Goodnight...,"she whispered back. They fell into silence after this, and for a long time Shelley laid there, feeling drowsiness come over her as she waited for sleep to claim her. She felt Edgar shift in his sleep, turning around so that he faced her now. Slowly Shelley pulled down the covers so that she could see him.

His face was even more peaceful when he slept than when he was awake. Shelley laid there, staring, struck by the innocence and beauty she could see so apparent in every plane of his face. He truly was beautiful, she realized, and so very human, with feelings so tender and sensitive, she was afraid of hurting him, he was so fragile. She felt her heart swell as she watched him in his sleep, wanting so badly to reach out and feel the soft skin that belonged to such a beautiful, innocent face, but afraid of waking him up. Instead she just sat there and watched him, feeling guiltier the more she did, but unwilling to look away.

She loved him. She couldn't deny it now. Without quite realizing how, she had fallen in love with this beautiful boy, and suddenly, her whole world seemed to melt away until there was only the two of them. Rick didn't matter. The town didn't matter. Nothing mattered, except for the fact that she loved him.

Shelley's last memory before sleep finally took her was of Edgar, sleeping soundly, stirring once again in his sleep, this time, scooting closer to her, drawn by her heat. He was so close she could feel his breath, warm and sweet on her skin, his forehead just barely brushing hers. She closed her eyes and finally drifted into sleep, breathing in his rich scent and gently resting her head against his warm chest.

* * *

><p>AN: That wasn't actually how I pictured their first kiss. It was just an idea, but I guess...it kind of worked? haha, I don't know. Oh, about the whole Shelley thing with her insecurities - obviously I made it up; I just felt like Shelley didn't really have a character until "Inside Your Heart," and that bugged me. I wanted more to lead up to her finally taking a stand and standing up to Rick in the revival scene and her running away from her own mother in Edgar's defence, and I like to think Edgar helped her to realize her inner strength. That's kind of what I was going for...but I really don't feel like I'm doing a very good job of showing it, haha. So instead I'm being a very bad writer and telling you straightforward to save you all the brainwork, haha.<p>


	17. Week 9: Revenge

AN: Okay, I don't know how equivalency exams work, and I'm not home-schooled, so I don't know what the process is to graduate for them, but I know that when I was in high school in my sophomore year, I had to take an exit exam that supposedly proved that I had passed high school, and it was graded by some anonymous graders I didn't know, and I got my score back and that was that. And also, I took the liberty of dragging out the days between Edgar taking the test and Edgar getting the scores back. Seriously, when you think about it, the idea that Edgar passed high school the second Shelley says "Mom, Edgar just finished his essay for his high school equivalency exam!" is just ridiculous. I think it's more likely they made her say that to basically tell the audience, "Hey audience! This is how far he's along now!" It's not literal; it's to show the passage of time.

Kind of sort of edited but honestly it gets worse from here :/

* * *

><p>Week 9:Revenge<p>

Nobody could quite explain Edgar's transformation over the next week. He had reached a breakthrough sometime in the middle of the week and had been able to pass every test Shelley or Mrs. Parker threw at him. He was starting to memorize the world as if it was something as simple as a formula. And as his dedication to his studies increased, so did Mrs. Parker's eagerness to help him. Edgar was beyond grateful to Mrs. Parker. She devoted so much time and energy to help him, and she was nothing short of his idol. He jumped to help her any chance he could. He had grown so accustomed to living with the Parker's that he now knew how to do all of their daily chores. If he saw Mrs. Parker cleaning something or doing laundry, he wouldn't hesitate to help. He wanted to make it all up to her any chance he got.

Shelley, too, involved herself as much as she could in Edgar's schooling. Something had changed between them. Edgar felt more relaxed around her, having revealed his deepest secret of shame and unworthiness and having been accepted regardless. She was with him every second of the day, helping him, just talking to him, a smile always on her face - lately more often, too. And when he would sleep at night, her face would haunt his dreams, and all he could think about was her hand in his, the soft glow of the lanturn when she held his face in the tent, the feel of her lips on his...

The kiss they had shared drove him crazy. He couldn't stop thinking about it. He wanted to know what would have happened if she hadn't pulled away, if they had kept going a little further. He wanted to kiss her again so badly, the need made him ache. The wanting was intense and strange to him; he had never wanted anything physical with Shelley so badly before; he had been content knowing that he loved her and that he had the opportunity to spend every day with her. With this newfound physical love coupled with emotional love, he now understood the difference between his love for Mrs. Parker and his love for Shelley. They were completely different. The love for them both was there, but physical love made his love for Shelley even stronger.

Edgar had stopped asking to hold her hand. He would shyly ask every once in a while near the beginning of the week, but soon Mrs. Parker had seen them and pulled him aside to explain to him that although she knew his intentions were pure and innocent, holding hands was something you did to show romantic interest to a girl, and that it might be awkward to do it to a good friend. This explanation embarrassed and confused Edgar. Shelley had never said anything about that. Why had she let him, then?

"Oh, well, you were just so cute and innocent whenever you asked, I felt bad telling you no,"she explained with an apologetic smile when he had asked her. Edgar hadn't really understood her rationale, but he accepted her explanation regardless.

Shelley, for her part, was finding difficulty concentrating on school herself. She thought of Edgar all day, what he was doing, what he was thinking, how much she realized each new day that she loved him more and more than the day after. She would race home everyday and run to him, all the sooner to see him even a fraction of a second sooner. She would stay by his side the entire day and into night, where away from her parent's watchful eye, they would sit together on his bed, talking about absolutely nothing for as long as they wanted to.

"Shelley?"Edgar asked one night.

"Hmm?" Edgar paused, contemplating how he was going to ask this question that had been itching to come out for two months now. He looked at her, so beautiful, so much more than he could ever deserve, and immediately he closed up. He couldn't do it. He couldn't ask her if she liked him, no matter how badly he wanted to know.

"Um...it's getting kind of late,"he said instead, looking down.

"Yeah, I guess we should get to bed,"she said, "You have a big day tomorrow. Mom wanted to try giving you the high school exit exam, didn't she?" He nodded stiffly, dropping his eyes.

"Are you scared?"she asked softly. He nodded again.

"You'll be fine. I took it, I passed. And you're way smarter than me."

"No I'm not,"he mumbled.

"Yeah you are. You help me with my homework now everyday."

"Only because you and Mrs. Parker helped me learn it..."

"Well now you know it all extra well. Don't worry, Edgar. It's okay if you don't pass. Nobody expected you to get this far so fast anyway."

"What if I fail, Shelley?"he asked softly, fearfully, "Mrs. Parker will be so ashamed of me. She's done so much for me. I don't want to let her down."

"You won't let her down. And even if you do, she could never be ashamed of you. High school's harder than elementary and middle school. Besides, I think it's still pretty incredible that you're going to be graduating before me. Just be confident. You know it."

"I'm scared."

"Okay, I'll quiz you. Who was Christopher Columbus?"

"An explorer who discovered America in 1492, and who initiated the process of Spanish settlement and helped to start general European settlement in the new world,"he rattled off.

"Good. Who was...Julius Caesar?"

"The first emporer of the Roman empire. His rule initiated a time of peace and prosperity."

"Let me think of a hard one...Cicero?" Edgar paused for a moment, thinking.

"He was a Roman philosopher. He believed in the natural law of mankind...I think."

"I don't even know who Cicero is. I learned about him from you,"she laughed softly, "Three out of three. I think you're good."

"I'm still scared,"he said softly. She hesitated, looking at him for a moment.

"...What are you so afraid of failing for?"

"I-It's just...this past week everything seemed to fit together so perfectly. If I don't pass...I'm scared you and Mrs. Parker and Dr. Parker will like me less..."

"Edgar, come on, I like you for you, not because you're a super mega-genius. And my mom's in love with you,"she laughed, "She'd adopt you if she could. Seriously, she would. And Dad likes you, too. So don't worry about that stuff. If you don't pass this time, chances are you'll know enough to get the highest score on the retake in student history by next week." Edgar didn't say anything. Shelley didn't understand. She didn't know the self-gratification of having mastered a new skill or a new concept, and then having Dr. Parker come home with his dinner that he still had to hide in the bathroom to eat. No matter how hard he worked, how much smarter and human he learned how to become each day, he was not normal, not human, so inhuman in fact, that he had to hide himself just to eat. He hadn't even told Shelley his secret yet. He was afraid. He knew she would be repulsed by him if she knew. No, Shelley didn't understand. She didn't understand that the only reason he studied so hard, tried so hard to be as human as he could, was that he could convince himself that he was capable of being normal and belonging in this world. He had never belonged in the bat's world. This was the first time he had ever come so close to belonging somewhere. If he didn't have that, then he didn't know if he could ever believe in himself.

"Okay,"he said instead, forcing a fake smile.

"I should probably let you get some sleep...,"she said softly, sitting up. He sat up reluctantly, getting up so he could walk her to the door.

"Goodnight, Shelley,"he said softly.

"Night, Edgar..." She didn't wait for him to ask if he could give her a hug. Slowly she wrapped her arms around him, nuzzling her cheek against his warm shoulder. He returned the hug affectionately, holding her gently in his arms. They stayed like that for a long time.

Finally Shelley whispered softly, without moving, "You're going to do amazing, tomorrow, Edgar..."

"Thank you, Shelley,"he answered quietly, "...for everything." She slowly leaned back and smiled at him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to so badly, but she felt scared for some reason. His feelings were so fragile, so tender, she was afraid of hurting them, especially now, when he was already so scared for tomorrow. Besides, she didn't even know if he really understood what boy-girl love was.

"Night...,"she said one last time, slowly walking backward. He waved slowly, sad to see her leave. He stood there even after she had gone, watching her shadow move silently down the hallway. He should have asked her. Every night he debated it, and sometimes he didn't feel right telling her, and other times the urge would hit him so strong he had to refrain himself from shouting it out. More than anything, he wanted to know if she felt the same way he did for her. But just as strong as his curiosity was, he didn't know if he could handle it if she didn't.

* * *

><p>The next morning was quiet with suspense and tension. Edgar walked aimlessly around the house, trying to calm his mind. He only stopped when Meredith, without a word, wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close to her, forcing him still. He leaned into her, immediately feeling better as she gently rubbed his back and kissed his head.<p>

"I'm so proud of you, sweetheart,"she said softly, immediately setting him at ease.

"...Can we review some more?"he asked, breaking away.

"Of course, dear. Whenever you're ready,"she said, affectionately brushing her fingers over his cheek. He smiled shyly at her, feeling a surge of gratitude and love for her surge through him. He wanted to make her proud of him. He wanted, more than anything, to make all of this worth while.

"I have something that will help,"Meredith said, taking his hand, "Remember the practice test you took yesterday, dear?"

"Yes..."

"I finished grading it last night." Now Edgar began to look nervous.

"You passed,"she said, smiling at him.

"What did I get?"he asked quickly.

"Ninety." Edgar gaped at her in surprise. He was not expecting such a high score. Slowly he began to feel more confident.

"The practice tests are usually harder than the real one, too,"she continued.

"Really?"he asked, again surprised. He sat up a little straighter, confidence growing. He could do this.

"I promise there's nothing to be nervous about, sweetheart. If you can pass that, you can pass this, too." Edgar stared at her, trying to measure the truthfulness of his words. Finally he heaved in a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay,"he said, trying to sound confident and sure of himself, "I'm ready."

* * *

><p>Edgar had made it clear that he wanted to take the real thing, not a practice exam or a test from a previous year. He wanted a diploma. But the process confused him. He didn't seem to understand that Mrs. Parker wasn't authorized to grade it - he had to send it in for someone else to do it.<p>

"You mean...other people are going to see it?"he asked nervously when Mrs. Parker explained it to him.

"They just want to make sure there's no bias, sweetheart. Don't worry, it won't change how you did." He didn't look convinced.

The scores came back in the mail earlier than Edgar felt ready for. Meredith was the one who discovered the large, sealed envelope waiting expectantly in the mailbox.

"Edgar!"she called when she got inside. She found both Shelley and Edgar sitting on the couch, talking. When she came in the room, Shelley gasped and jumped up.

"It came? Already?"

"It sure looks like it." Edgar had turned pale but didn't say anything.

"Get Dad! He should see this!"

Once the whole family was assembled, Meredith gently took Edgar by the hand and opened the envelope. Edgar was shaking, though he didn't know why. He tried to remember what Shelley and Mrs. Parker had told him, that they would still feel the same for him even if he didn't pass. But a part of him was still afraid.

Meredith read the grading sheet to herself first, careful not to show any emotion. Finally she smiled and leaned in to show Edgar.

"You passed, dear,"she said, smiling as she handed it to him.

"I...what?"

"You did it, Edgar!"Shelley laughed, throwing her arms around his neck. He stared blankly between the two, then broke out into a huge smile.

"Let's see!"Shelley said, pulling the paper toward her, "Holy cow! Look at his math score!" Edgar looked with her, his eyes not really comprehending what he was seeing. But Shelley's comment made him smile regardless, secretly proud of himself.

"Congratulations, sweetheart!"Meredith said, pulling him into a tight hug.

"That's incredible, Edgar!"Dr. Parker chimed in, patting him on the back. Edgar smiled, feeling the warmth and love of his family radiating from them.

"I really passed?"he asked, beaming up at Mrs. Parker. He was so excited he found himself standing, too excited to sit.

"Look, they sent your essay back!"Shelley said, pulling it out of the envelope. As Meredith pulled Edgar in for an affectionate hug and kiss, Shelley began reading to herself.

"Edgar...you wrote this?"Shelley asked incredulously, looking up at him.

"No...it's bad, I ran out of time at the end...,"he mumbled, feeling self-conscious as Shelley read it.

"No way...Mom, you have to read this!" The excitement in her voice took Edgar by surprise. She liked it? She thought it was good?

He blushed under all the attention but smiled none the less, meeting Shelley's eyes for just a moment before smiling back at Mrs. Parker - the one he really owed all this to.

"Edgar, this is so incredible!"Shelley shouted, jumping up and hugging him, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Of course, it's no surprise, though. Our little Edgar is the smartest boy in the world!"Meredith laughed, joining in the hug. Edgar smiled, he couldn't help it. He had never felt so happy in his life. He was surrounded by people who loved and cared for him, and he had been able to make all their hard work mean something. He felt confident for once.

He leaned against Mrs. Parker, hugging her back. He felt her encase him in his arms, and he nuzzled into her, not ashamed or embarrassed anymore. He felt his family's love burning in his heart, and he gladly opened up to it, for this moment not afraid that his love was incapable of being reciprocated. He was part of a family. He belonged here.

* * *

><p>"Big day, huh?"Thomas asked casually. When Shelley and Edgar(he thought) were in bed, this was how they would spend his nights with his wife: forcing conversation when the silence became too unnatural, being as close to her as she allowed him to be until she crawled into bed, purposely putting herself as far away from him as possible.<p>

"Hmm-mm,"Meredith answered nonchalantly, changing behind the door. Thomas sighed softly, waiting for her. Even after sixteen years, he couldn't understand why she was so repulsed by the idea of changing in front of her own husband.

"Edgar's come a long way...,"he continued, trying to make her talk. He knew she would respond if he turned the topic to the boy. He was all she ever talked about.

"He has,"she said, coming out dressed in a long nightgown, "I still can't believe it sometimes. And to think, half of it was just confidence."

"What do you mean?"he asked.

"Well, he was pretty nervous going into it, so I lied to him about his practice test. I told him he did well so he would have a little more confidence going into the real thing. He actually didn't pass at all..."

"You lied to him?"

"It worked, didn't it?"she asked, smiling, "He's a very confident young man now."

"You're incredible,"he said with a smile, wrapping his arms around her waist, gently pulling her closer to him. He waited, testing his boundaries, then slowly leaned in to kiss her. Immediately she pushed him away. Thomas stared at her, feeling his heart twist inside him as the familiar pains of rejection took over.

"Not tonight, Thomas. I'm tired,"she immediately said, climbing into bed without looking at him. That was always her excuse.

"Meredith, I wasn't asking for sex. I just wanted you to know that I love you and I'm proud of you,"he said slowly.

"Oh,"she said, feeling guilty now, "Thank you, dear." He waited, but she didn't say what he so wanted her to say.

"I love you, Meredith,"he finally said, coming over and gently placing his hand affectionately on her shoulder.

"Hmm." Thomas watched her, and she could immediately tell she had hurt his feelings. She knew her husband well enough now to be able to tell when she had done a bad job lying. She was a horrible liar. She was much better at hiding her problems altogether - pretending they didn't exist.

"Thomas, I think I want to adopt Edgar." He started, so surprised he forgot that he was offended, as she had intended.

"..._You_ want to...adopt Edgar?"he asked slowly, And where does my opinion fit into the picture?"

"Well I just assumed you would agree. He might as well be part of the family now, after all,"she answered. He stared at her incredulously. She just assumed?

"Meredith, you know I like the kid, but he's not our son."

"Well, he's my son." She had said it. The truth had been hanging over them like a dark, ominous curtain for months, threatening to fall, and with just those three words, she had let it. Thomas stared at her, not knowing what to say, not knowing how to address the issue they had both been trying to avoid for sixteen years.

"You gave up that right long ago, Meredith. He's no more your son than he is mine now,"he finally said tightly, staring directly at her. She paused for a moment, looking a little hurt.

Just think about it, Thomas. Please?"she asked finally.

"What's wrong with the family we have now, Meredith?"he asked softly.

"Nothing's wrong. There's just room for it to grow, that's all."

"...That doesn't mean it's a necessity,"he said softly.

"I love him dearly, Thomas. We all do. At some point, it will be a necessity - for him."

"I'm not putting his needs over my family's,"he responded tightly.

"Please, Thomas? Think about it. This is important to me."

_And I'm not? _he wanted to say. But he kept his mouth shut.

"Right...I'll...think about it,"he mumbled.

"Thank you, dear. Are you going to bed?"

"...No." Turning his back to her, he suddenly felt a sudden urge to get out of the house, far away from talk of change and of love that didn't involve him. He stuffed his feet into his shoes and pulled out the rifle he kept hidden in the top shelf in his closet, where Shelley couldn't reach it.

"What are you doing?"Meredith asked, sitting up a little.

"Hunting,"he muttered, pulling on a jacket.

"Now? It's late."

"I won't be gone long,"he murmered, turning to her, "Don't wait up for me." He knew she wouldn't have anyway.

"Okay,"she said, "Bring back something for Edgar." He cast her one last sad glance, then turned off the lights and shut the door behind him without answering. Before he left, he went down to his study and refilled his container of whiskey, taking one long drink before strapping it to his belt and heading back out the door. The scenery around him shifted as he walked. The alcohol strong in his system, he fumbled for the door and stepped out into the cold night air, heading directly toward the woods.

He had already downed half the flask by the time he reached the trees. The darkness was blinding at this time of night - he wouldn't have been able to see anything even if he wasn't completely drunk.

He heard movement behind him and shot wildly in the noise's general direction. The moon suddenly appeared from behind a dark cloud, illuminating the forest floor. He squinted, trying to concentrate on what appeared to be a wild hare, standing dead in the moon's light. He lifted his gun and shot, killing the animal instantly. Even drunk, years of practice promised a sure shot. He stepped over the animal, not even stopping to examine his work. He simply pulled his flask and took another swig, moving forward, deeper into the woods. He wasn't here to hunt so much as he was to let some steam off anyway.

He was forced to stop when he began stumbling into trees, hardly able to walk. He stopped to lean against a tree, fumbling for the flask again, not caring if he felt sick. When he took yet another swig, he felt the cold numbness he had felt back in his bedroom melt away and replace itself with the familiar buzz of hard liquor. He embraced that feeling. He wanted, more than anything, to not have to feel that familiar pain.

He closed his eyes and collapsed to the ground, exhausted. When people asked how a veterinarian of all people could enjoy hunting, watching animals suffer and die at his own hands, he didn't know what to tell them. Nobody understood. He wondered if even Meredith understood. He liked to believe she did.

When Thomas decided he wanted to be a veterinarian, he did so believing that he had the ability to heal, that he could somehow make a difference. He had been willing to dedicate his entire life to saving and protecting lives.

Yet he hadn't been able to protect the one person he cared about the most. He had put his faith in a healing ability he couldn't use to heal his own wife. And every time she looked at him with that same dead coldness in her eyes, he was reminded everyday that he was powerless, that his faith in himself was a lie. What did the lives of animals matter if he couldn't protect the person he loved more than anything in the world? She had almost died that day because of him. She had almost given up on him, on life, on their unborn child, all because of him. In the end, it was Shelley that had pulled her out of her darkness, not him. Her desire to give her daughter a happy life was the only thing that helped lift her off her feet when her parent's death brought her so far down. He hadn't been able to heal her after all. In the end, he could only destroy. Everytime she reminded him that things were still broken in pieces because of him, he would grab his rifle and do the only thing he was ever good for: destroying.

People claimed he was the best veterinarian they knew. But they didn't know better. They couldn't see the indifference in his eyes when a sick animal was brought in, or the envy he felt because an animal's life was so easy to fix. He could prescribe a pill, give it a shot, put it down and be done with it, and that was that. But he was clueless when it came to people. People were more complicated than that.

Save and destroy. Save and destroy. Sometimes only destroy. That was the cycle of his life.

Did people really not see how little he valued life at all? What did he care who lived or died? He didn't get to live. He didn't get to love, or hope, or have his life mean something to someone. He was nothing to her. He never was.

_Are you happy now, Meredith? Are you happy now that you've found someone who makes you feel loved in a way that I've never made you feel? Are you happy now that you have someone you can love back?_

_And where does that leave me?_

Thomas felt the rifle fall from his hand. The alcohol was making him deranged and sick. He closed his eyes, but all he saw behind them was that boy wrapped around her, his face painted with the same feelings of happiness and contentment that Thomas had fought with his life to win for sixteen years. Suddenly this...monster shows up, and he, who did nothing to deserve the same love that Thomas had fought for, won it without even trying.

He hated him. He hated him so much. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that others could live in happiness while he suffered. It wasn't fair that he lived to save lives, and there was nobody to save his own.

Tucking the flask in his belt, he reached again for the rifle, slowly staggered to his feet, and shuffled on into the cold night. One man's misery for another's. A life for a life. A constant, never-ending cycle of revenge.

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><p>AN: I feel like the script gives the right suggestions for how Dr. Parker's character should be, but directors refuse to use them. They show Thomas drunk in one scene, and then just leave it. In fact, I've only seen one interpretation that keeps the alcoholism idea going. He has such potential to be a deeper character than he is, and I always get frustrated with all the versions I've seen who don't give him more range of emotion between "happy dad" and "psychotic killer."<p> 


	18. Week 10: Preparation

AN: I thought this was really interesting that I wanted to share. In my psychology class we learned about this boy in France who was found living in the wild, who had somehow had no contact with humans before. So this researcher guy takes him in, names him Viktor, and tries to teach him French and civilize him. He worked on him for four years and concluded that there was nothing they could do and that he was a hopeless case. He could speak a little French but nothing could be done to completely civilize him. I just thought that was interesting, even though it made me kind of sad because it showed how Bat Boy is even more unrealistic than it is already...

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><p>Week 10:Preparation<p>

Another week passed by in which Edgar lived completely unaware of the growing tensions around him. Dr. Parker came home slightly irritated lately, casting Edgar dark, unfriendly looks whenever he saw him. Edgar could sense that something was wrong, but he didn't dare ask, afraid that he would further upset Dr. Parker.

Edgar asked if now it would be alright for him to go outside, but Mrs. Parker still refused. Even Shelley did not come to his rescue this time, though she didn't say why. Confused and frustrated, he began to wonder if the Parkers really were ashamed of him after all.

"It's not that she's ashamed of you,"Shelley tried to convince him when he told her what he was feeling, "She's just, you know...nervous. The town's kind of on edge right now. Even my friends are a little wired up. It's not the right time."

"I don't understand why, though,"he murmered softly, "I want to go out like you and talk to people and contribute to society."

"You will...someday."

"When, though?"

"I don't know, we just need to find the perfect opportunity to bring you out. Then everyone can get to know you."

"But I feel ready _now_!"he insisted, looking pleadingly at her.

"You are ready,"Shelley said brightly, smiling reassuringly,"And my parents know you're ready too. They're just waiting for the right opportunity for you."

"Like what?"he asked.

"I don't know, but we'll find something,"she said brightly, "I'm sure of it." Edgar was quiet for a long time, his mind racing as he stared out the window, memorizing the faces of neighbors he watched everyday, but would never actually meet. Nobody knew him. He was living in a world that he was not really part of, and he wanted to be in it. He wanted it more than anything. He wanted to know his hard work was not wasted.

There were so many times that week when Edgar felt impressed to confess his feelings for Shelley, but something always stopped him. Mrs. Parker would walk into the room, or he would simply shy up. He felt silly for letting his feelings bottle up for so long. He couldn't explain it, but there was a fear inside him stronger even than the fear he had had of failing his high school equivalency exam. If Shelley rejected him, it would destroy him. She was his entire world, his own personal sun. And no matter how much he loved her, he knew, regardless his recent accomplishments, despite the time and friendship she spent on him, there was no way someone like her could ever love someone like him.

Shelley seemed to be on the verge as well. Every thought, every moment involved Edgar in some way. She would drop subtle hints, but he didn't understand the laws of courting, so he never picked them up. The moment her mother left the room, her hand would seem to act of its own accord and reach out to touch him, small gestures, his knee, his wrist, it didn't matter as long as she could feel close to him. She could feel tension between them, begging to be released, ready to explode as if their love were a time bomb biding its time until they both suddenly erupted. She had never cared for a boy so deeply before. She would often lay in bed, smiling happily to herself, remembering something he said, or something he did that made her heart flutter with girlish excitement.

Edgar tried to take his pressures out on continued schooling. He wanted to explore other subjects, try new things. When he finally would get to show himself, he wanted to ensure that they would be impressed.

Friday couldn't come fast enough. Shelley purposely didn't make any plans for the weekend. She was going to spend the entire weekend with Edgar, and nothing was going to interfere. That night Shelley suggested they have a sleepover in her room. She seemed excited about it, so Edgar tried to be too, even though he wasn't sure what people did at sleepovers that he and Shelley didn't do already. Even still, he liked the idea of falling asleep with Shelley in the room with him.

Edgar was a little hesitant about being in Shelley's room, even though he had been invited in, and he had gotten Mrs. Parker's permission. He hadn't gone near her room since the incident. He glanced around the room, taking it in. It was much more elaborately furnished than his, decorated with personal items: pictures of her and her friends, posters of bands he remembered her mentioning, random memorabilia gathering dust on her desk. He stopped to look at them, wondering inwardly if he would ever have a place of his own where he could collect his own treasures and memories. Here were things that Shelley had collected over the years, random objects that meant nothing and yet everything to her.

"My dad gave that to me when I turned three,"she suddenly said, seeing that he was staring at a small, old piggy bank, it's paint dull and chipped in various places, "It's stupid that I still have it, but...I don't know, I just can't get rid of it. I loved that thing when I was little."

"You shouldn't get rid of it,"he said softly, staring at it with a strange, reverent look in his eyes, "It's special to you."

"Did you ever have anything like that? Keepsakes or memories of when you were little?"she asked, tilting her head to the side. Edgar thought a moment.

"No...,"he said, shaking his head, "Even if I did, I don't remember."

"You don't remember when you were little?"she asked sadly. He thought hard for a moment.

"I remember I used to try and fly...I'd practice and practice but I couldn't do it."

"Really?"she asked, laughing, "I think I did that too."

"You did?"he asked, turning to her in surprise.

"I think every kid's tried it at least once,"she said, laughing lightly. The thought made him happy. Even growing up in completely different backgrounds, he had shared at least a small similarity to Shelley's past.

"Maybe the reason I don't remember anything is because I don't have anything to remind myself,"he mused aloud.

"Yeah, maybe...,"she said, "I have pictures and stuff, so I guess that makes sense." Edgar smiled shyly, not knowing what to say.

"What's this called, Shelley?"he asked, pointing to something on her shelf to distract himself.

"That's a dream catcher. My really good friend made it for me before her family moved to Washington,"she explained. She went down the line, explaining everything to Edgar, letting him hold things carefully in his hands, watching him as he held them so carefully, protecting her memories as if they were delicate treasures.

"Why did people give you these things?"he asked, turning to her. She shrugged.

"They were gifts. They just gave them to me to be nice."

"Gifts?"he asked, looking confused, "I thought you only give gifts for holidays."

"Well, yeah, but sometimes you give just for the sake of giving. You know, to show you care about someone and want them to remember you." Edgar thought about this for a moment. Nobody had ever given him something like that before. He looked at the shelves of memorabelia and pictures of her and her friends and felt a sense of emptiness creep over him. There was nothing there from him, no keepsakes on her walls that showed he cared about her as much as her friends did.

"Would it be okay if...I gave you a gift?"he asked shyly, glancing up at her. She hesitated, surprised.

"Of course, but..do you actually have something to give?"she asked.

"Well...I suppose...,"he said, hesitating, "...Um...but...never mind, it's silly."

"What is it?"she asked. He shook his head, feeling cornered. He shouldn't have even brought it up.

"Edgar, come on, tell me,"she insisted, leaning in close to him. He blushed a little at how close she was standing, feeling his stomach lurch with butterflies.

"Um, well...I'm not sure. Do flowers count?"

"Flowers?"

"Last month...Mrs. Parker helped me plant seeds and...I...I wanted to give one of them to you when it was ready...,"he mumbled, looking down, "But...that was a month ago...I mean...I thought flowers were a big deal, then. It's just silly now, I'm sorry, I didn't know any better." He said it quickly and quietly, his eyes shyly averted to the ground. Shelley stared at him for a moment, remembering how he would innocently ask if she would come outside with him, wanting to see as much of the world as he was allowed to. She remembered the joy and happiness he took in seeing any new thing, whether it be as simple as a flower to as exciting as cautiously watching someone walk in front of their house while he peered through the front window. Two months of seeing the same backyard had conditioned him to expect that same beauty every day, but even so, she knew this was important to him, even if he pretended it wasn't.

"I'm sorry,"he mumbled, "That's not a real gift, is it?..."

"What are you talking about? Of course it is." He glanced shyly up at her, trying to decide if he believed her or not.

"Can I see?"she asked.

"I-It's outside,"he stammered, feeling ridiculous. Of course it was outside, stupid. To his great chagrin, she laughed.

"I meant when it's bloomed, silly,"she said with a soft laugh, "You'll show me what you planted?" Edgar stared at her, unable to focus over the hammering beat of his own heart as she looked up at him with that smile he loved so much.

"Y-yes,"he managed to stammer out.

"Promise?"she asked, slinking her hands around his shaking one. He gulped loudly - too loudly, and suddenly the room felt impossibly hot.

"P-promise."

Aww, thanks, Edgar!"she said, throwing her arms around him.

"...You're welcome,"he said, slowly hugging her back, only slightly pleased with himself, "I feel a little foolish, actually."

"I would love anything from you,"she reassured him, boldly kissing his cheek. Edgar closed his eyes, feeling his heart flutter as her lips lingered there for a little longer than needed. She kissed him just short of the corner of his mouth - as close to a real kiss as she dared. Her hands lingered on his arms, and without thinking he pulled away, too shy to act on it. She didn't stop though. Slowly she leaned back in, her face close to his. His pulse beat heavily, and for a moment he just stood there staring blankly at her, frozen to the spot. He wanted to be allowed to hold her and touch her the same way he had seen that boy touch her. But he knew he would never know how to be intimate unless he was taught. And heaven knew there was no chance that would happen.

"Shelley...um, I...I really...enjoy spending time with you,"he managed to confess, glancing awkwardly up at her. He didn't know if he was brave enough to say anything more than that. She tilted her head to the side, giving him a funny look.

"Me, too, Edgar,"she answered softly with a gentle smile, slowly running her hands down his arms, making him tremble. He looked down at her hands, lingering on his wrists. Though he didn't know what flirting was, he at least could see that there was something in the way Shelley was touching him that erked him. This was definitely nothing like the way Mrs. Parker touched him.

"Um...I-I don't know how to...I mean...,"he mumbled, not knowing exactly what he was saying. She stared at him, confused.

"What don't you know how to do?"she asked. He looked down.

"Nothing,"he mumbled, shaking his head. Shelley stared wonderingly at him for a moment. Sensing something was troubling him, she broke into a smile and quickly tried to distract him.

"Now soon I'll have something to remember you by, too,"she said, playfully tickling his nose with the feathery end of the dream catcher before setting it on her shelf. He managed a laugh, swiping it away.

"What is that called?"he asked.

"A feather?"

"No...that...itching feeling."

"Tickling?"she asked, bewildered, "Wait...you've never been tickled before?"

"I've read about it. What is it?"

"I'll show you,"she said, a mischeivious smile on her face, "Sit on the edge of the bed." He did as she instructed, looking confused but sitting patiently with his hands folded in his lap.

"Put your arms up."

"What?"he asked, laughing lightly.

"Just do it. Come on." He felt ridiculous, but he did what she said anyway. She approached him slowly, then suddenly lunged, attacking his sides. They fell backward on the bed together, laughing as Shelley's fingers danced along his sides.

"S-stop it!"he laughed, trying to push her off.

"No way!"she laughed, grabbing for him as he tried to squirm away. They wrestled each other relentlessly, trying to force the other into submission, laughing the whole time. They didn't stop until Meredith suddenly opened the door, looking annoyed.

"Kids, can you please keep it down? I know it's Friday night, but it's late,"she said irritably.

"Sorry,"Shelley panted, getting off Edgar.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Parker,"Edgar added guiltily. He waited for Mrs. Parker to scold him for behaving recklessly, for acting anything less than a gentleman. But instead she simply sighed, tiredly crossed the room, and much to his surprise, kissed them both goodnight instead.

"Get some sleep, you two,"she said, her hand lingering on the back of Edgar's head. Edgar watched her leave, feeling a wave of loving affection rush over him for his understanding foster mother.

"I guess we should get to bed,"Shelley mumbled disappointedly with a muffled yawn. Edgar looked noticeably saddened, but nodded.

"Do I have to sleep in the corner again?"he asked. The seriousness of his expression as he said it sent Shelley into a fit of laughter.

"No, I'm not going to make you sleep there again,"she laughed, "How about I sleep down here with you this time?"

"Okay!"he answered, breaking into a smile.

Shelley got out a handful of blankets from the closet and dumped them on the floor. Edgar helped her lay them out, shyly avoiding eye contact. He glanced up at Shelley, who happened to be looking at him at the same time. They both looked down awkwardly, blushing with embarrassment.

"Still scared of the air conditioner?"Shelley teased.

"Not at all! In fact, I know why people need an air conditioner and a blanket now,"he said proudly.

"Why?"

"Because our bodies need to be in a constant state of homeostasis,"he explained matter of factly, "So we need something to counterbalance the effect of being too hot or cold."

"I think I remember my chemistry teacher mentioning something about that. Homeo...homeo...whatever that big word is. No comprendo, haha,"she said with a light roll of her eyes.

"No...what?"

"Oh, no comprendo means I don't get it in Spanish. Or at least...I think that's what it means,"she said with a light laugh, shrugging.

"Spanish?"Edgar asked curiously.

"Yeah. You know, it's another language. You speak Bat and English, and some people speak Spanish."

"You mean...I can learn other languages besides English?"he asked, naturally wide, bright eyes growing wider.

"Whoa, hold your horses there, let's take it one language at a time,"she teased, "You learned English fast enough."

"But that's amazing! If I can learn to speak English, who's to say I can't learn ALL the languages? There won't be anybody I can't talk to!"he said, bouncing on his feet and waving his arms in excitement.

"I guess so,"she said, smiling, "You really like learning, don't you?"

"I love it!"he answered brightly, "That's why I can't wait to finally come out and show myself! If I can learn this much from you and Mrs. Parker, just think what I could learn from others!"

"I wish I had your motivation,"she said, laying her head down on the pillow. Edgar threw his pillow down on the floor, turning to stare back at Shelley's shelf of memories.

"I wish I had your freedom." An awkward silence fell between the two. Shelley shifted slightly so that her mouth was pressed against her pillow, hiding any face she might have made. She didn't know what to say to this.

"Shelley...how much longer do you think it will take until I can show myself?" She hesitated for another long moment, then slowly lifted her head.

"I dunno,"she said, shrugging, "We haven't even talked to my Mom and Dad about it..."

"Do you think they'll like the idea?"he asked quietly, sitting down.

"Why wouldn't they? You're so ready,"she answered confidently.

"Really?"

"Edgar, you're the smartest guy I've ever met. And you did it in like, two months. If you can't impress them, I don't know who could."

"I don't feel smart. I feel like I've only just begun learning."

"Save it for college,"she teased, "You're brilliant. Trust me." The assuredness with which she spoke made him blush and shyly look away.

"Thank you..,"he mumbled.

"I'm not saying it to make you feel better, I'm saying it because it's true." His blush deepened, embarrassed under all the flattery but secretly happy.

"I'm excited, "she continued, smiling brightly, "I'll bet my mom secretly is too."

"I hope so,"he said, stifling a yawn.

"Are you tired?"she asked, lying down across the blankets.

"A little, but it's okay. I'd rather stay up with you,"he said, smiling sweetly. He paused, unsure whether it was okay to stray from the proper way of sitting Mrs. Parker had taught him. Finally he relented and copied Shelley, hoping this was okay. There seemed to be certain things that were okay to do around Shelley that were not okay to do around anybody else. He liked it, though. He liked knowing that he didn't have to obey all the rules when he was with Shelley.

Shelley knew right now was the perfect moment to tell him. She felt every nerve in her body tingle with nervousness as she slowly glanced up at him, letting her fingers trace the surface of the back of his hand. He watched her, not knowing how to react. He didn't understand what it meant, but it made him feel strange.

"Edgar...do you...like me?"Shelley finally asked, her voice soft and quiet.

"Of course I like you!"he said, looking startled that she would even ask such a thing.

"No, I mean...do you _like me_ like me?" Edgar stared at her with a perplexed expression. He had never heard such a term used before.

"I...don't understand...,"he said slowly, confused.

"Well...you said you like me, but...do you just _like_ me or do you _like me_ like me?" The silence that followed made Shelley's heart ache as she watched Edgar struggle for an answer.

"I'm...very confused. Is there...something I'm not understanding?" Shelley dropped her eyes, lips turning down into a frown.

"Never mind."

"No, Shelley, tell me, please,"he said, leaning up, misinterpreting her reaction as anger, "Of course I like you, Shelley. You're my best friend."

"Thanks,"Shelley said, smiling faintly, "You are too, Edgar."

"You sound sad...,"he said, immediately concerned, "I'm sorry, is it because of me? I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Shelley." Shelley laughed weakly, shaking her head.

"It's okay,"she said softly, smiling gently, "I get it. It wouldn't make any sense anyway." Edgar tilted his head to the side, waiting for her to say more. She laid there for a while, trying to think of what to say.

"You know how you said I'm your best friend?"she tried again, "Do you ever feel like we're more than best friends?" Edgar didn't know what to say. She was his _only_ friend. How was he supposed to compare?

"Yes...,"was his quiet, honest answer.

"So... you do like me that way?"she asked again. Again, Edgar stared at her helplessly, desperately wishing for a dictionary to tell him what she was saying.

"Um...well. I do _like_ you a lot,"he said unsurely. He knew he had said the wrong thing when Shelley's face dropped.

"Oh. Okay. That's all I wanted to know,"she said, turning her head away from him so he couldn't see the tears form in her eyes.

"Wait, Shelley, I'm sorry. What was I supposed to say?"he asked, concerned.

"Nothing. You didn't say the wrong thing,"she answered, not looking at him. Edgar didn't know what to say. She seemed to want to go to bed now, but he didn't know how to resolve the conflict he felt he had unintentionally created.

"Shelley?"he finally asked.

"Hmm?"

"I really am confused...What does "like you like you"even mean?"he asked. A long silence followed. Finally Edgar heard her emit a soft laugh as she suddenly realized her own miscommunication. When she turned around to face him, she was smiling again. Edgar felt his body relax.

"I'll tell you in the morning,"she finally answered, gently grasping his hand. He stared at her, feeling his heart swell with emotion and excitement. He shyly looked away, wanting to believe that this was a good sign as he instinctively felt it was, but having no way of knowing for sure.

"Okay,"he conceded softly, confused but none the less willing to go along with whatever she wanted, "Goodnight, Shelley."

"Goodnight, Edgar."


	19. Week 10: Conclusions

AN: I'm really sorry a big portion of this section is show-dialogue...in my defense, I was original the whole story up to this point. I can afford to be unoriginal one chapter. I wrote most the dialogue straight from memory(I've seen this show waaaaay too many times), leaving a _lot_ out on purpose, simply because if I had followed the script directly, the word count would have doubled, and this is already the longest chapter yet. So if it doesn't look exactly like the script, know that I sliced and diced quite a bit.

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><p>Week 10:Conclusions<p>

Edgar stared at Shelley from across the room, his heart thumping madly in his chest. This couldn't be a normal bodily reaction from just looking at her, he thought as she bent over to pick up a book on the floor, her hair falling gracefully off her shoulder.

"What did she mean?"he thought angrily to himself. He had flipped through page after page that morning, only to discover that the word "like" meant precisely what he had thought it meant. And much to his annoyance, she hadn't brought it up like she promised she would.

Shelley suddenly turned to him, and Edgar snapped back to attention.

"Did you really finish this?"she asked disbelievingly, holding up the book she had picked up.

"This morning, actually,"he replied, trying not to sound boastful, even though he was quite proud of himself. It was the longest book he had read yet.

"_War and Peace_? No way. Isn't this thing like...the longest book in the world?" He shrugged modestly.

"It wasn't _that_ long...,"he lied.

"It is _too_ long,"she retaliated, "I can't believe you. What else did you do this morning before everyone got up?"

"I watched a medical program, read the newspaper, finished my suit, and did a little bit of trigonometry..."

"Wait, you finished your suit?"she asked, "Let me see!" Edgar face immediately flushed and he quickly looked down.

"I'-it's not ready..."

"You just said it was! Come on, I want to see you in it!" Despite his protests, Shelley forced him to go change, pushing him into his room until he had no choice but to do what she said. He emerged a few minutes later, feeling awkward and self-conscious as she looked him over, waiting for her verdict.

"Wow,"she breathed, "...You look great." He held back a sigh of relief as he visibly relaxed, regaining his confidence.

"Thank you, Shelley,"he said, beaming, "You're looking splendid yourself."

"You look like you're going to a dance hall in Wheeling,"she said, her eyes still unwaveringly on him. He bowed down low, like the gentlemen did in the books he read before they asked a lady to dance.

"May have the pleasure, Miss Shelley?"he asked teasingly, looking up to see her laughing.

"Why I'd be delighted, Master Edgar,"she responded in a slight mockery of his British accent, curtseying low. Edgar took a step forward and stopped, realizing he didn't know what to do next. He knew what dancing was; he had never actually done it, though.

"Um...,"he started, peering up at her for help. After a moment, Shelley saw what the problem was.

"Here, put your right hand here,"she instructed, taking his hand and putting it in hers, "And your other hand like this..." Edgar held his breath as she placed his other hand on her waist. He tried to pretend he wasn't at all affected, but inside his heart was thumping madly. His hand felt like an alien on unfamiliar ground when held against her like this.

"Oh...yes. I see..,"he said nervously, looking straight at her, trying to focus back on dancing.

Edgar felt Shelley's hands press themselves themselves gently against his, and her body draw close, closer than normal. He glanced tentatively down at her, gently squeezing her hand as she began to rock side to side, pulling him along with her. He followed her lead the best he could, sometimes stumbling and tripping over his own feet, mumbling quiet apologies under his breath. Shelley laughed in amusement as she tried to help him get the hang of it. Soon they were floating in a single, synchronized rythm, dancing slowly in a circle around the living room.

Edgar soon felt comfortable enough to not stare so fixedly at his feet, and instead chanced a glance up at Shelley and found her staring right at him. He smiled gently, gazing contently into her eyes. He felt a magnetic pole drawing him closer to her, luring him in until their faces were only a few inches apart. It was only when they stopped moving that Edgar realized that she was moving in too. He could feel her hot breath ghosting over his skin, her lips only a few centimeters away from his, when suddenly-

"Edgar! Shelley!" They pulled away from each other as if they had been shocked with an electric bolt, both flushing with embarrassment as they turned to face Mrs. Parker coming in, bearing a tray.

"Oh! You're already here!"Mrs. Parker exclaimed, not even noticing their slightly flushed faces, "Oh, Edgar, you look _lovely!_" Edgar beamed at the compliment.

"Thank you, Mrs. Parker,"Edgar politely replied. Dr. Parker entered the room, unnoticed by anybody but Shelley.

"Come, let us all sit down,"Mrs. Parker said, ushering them to the table.

"May I serve?"Edgar asked. He lived for those pleasantly surprised smiles.

"Of course you may, dear,"she said with a bright smile. Edgar carefully took the tray from her as the rest of the family sat down. He fretted nervously, wondering how best to bring the subject up. He had made a discovery that morning, and he was anxious to share it with his adoptive family. He caught Shelley's eye, then quickly took in a breath. Finally he began, in a matter-of-fact tone of voice, to speak.

"You know...I was reading in the paper this morning that the Reverend Billy Hightower will be bringing his revival tent tomorrow...,"he began casually, pouring Dr. Parker's drink with extra care, "And since I've just finished reading the Bible again, I do think it would be a nice coming out for me..." He was watching Dr. and Mrs. Parker's response foremost, but Shelley was the first to come to his aide. Just last night they were trying to think of the best opportunity to bring him out, and here it was: the perfect opportunity. He could tell she was excited to hear this news.

"Oh that would be _perfect_! You could wear your new suit and I could wear my new dress!"she exclaimed excitedly, "Aw man, I can't wait to see everybody's faces!" Edgar cast her a grateful smile, glad to have a friend on his side.

"Actually, we were thinking about having a nice camping trip this weekend. Just us, alone in the woods...,"Dr. Parker interrupted. Edgar tried not to look disappointed. He glanced quickly at Shelley, who, he was relieved to see, also looked a little distraught over this idea. A church revival was the perfect opportunity for Edgar - the sheriff would be there, the Reverend would be there, it would give Edgar an excuse to dress the part, and most importantly, the townspeople would be at their best mood and on their best behavior. They had never thought for a moment that there would be any doubt on Dr. and Mrs. Parker's part that he was ready. What were they saying?

"Oh, well...we can do that anytime,"he said, trying his best to sound polite and respectful, "The revival is the social event of the season..." He watched Mrs. Parker exchange glances with Dr. Parker, and immediately he felt another pang of rejection hit him.

"Edgar, I feel horrible telling you no..." Edgar stared at Mrs. Parker in quiet submission, not even knowing what to say. He had assumed she of all people would understand how he felt, how badly he wanted to prove himself. But she wasn't looking at him. She was looking at Dr. Parker. Immediately Edgar turned to Shelley, expecting her to object. Instead, he found her holding her arms stiffly, staring down at her feet. She didn't look surprised or confused, though. She simply looked angry.

"The way people talk about him...it's not fair,"Shelley muttered, crossing her arms.

"Shelley, this is not up for discussion,"Dr. Parker whispered to her.

"W-what is it people say about me?"Edgar asked, surprised by Shelley's comment. People were talking about...him? What could they possibly be saying about someone they had never met?

"Some people are very cruel,"Dr. Parker explained calmly, sipping his tea to appear nonchalant about the subject. Edgar immediately rose to his feet, bewildered by the implication.

"They say _cruel_ things, is that it?"he asked, looking between them all, waiting for one of them to give him an explanation. He looked at Shelley for help. She had told him weeks ago that the townspeople didn't like him because of what he had done to Ruthie. But they didn't know him. He had changed so much since then. He spoke better; he behaved better. Even then, how could they hate him if they had never met him?

"They just don't understand,"Dr. Parker tried to explain.

"But...they don't know me!"Edgar argued.

"Look, we're not saying you can't go out _sometimes_,"Dr. Parker said carefully, a strange look passing over his face that told Edgar that he had no intention of keeping that promise. He hadn't been allowed out anywhere but the backyard once since he came here.

"Now's just not the right time, dear...,"Meredith added gently.

"And when can it happen, Mother?"Shelley interrupted, sarcasm dripping from her voice as she rose to her feet, "Next week? Next month? Next year though for sure, though, right?"

"Shelley!"Dr. Parker interjected. Shelley did not look at her father, but instead kept her gaze on her mother, who was, as she had intended, looking guiltier and guiltier every second. Then slowly she turned to glance at Edgar, and immediately her expression softened when she saw the hurt look on his face.

"Maybe never...?"she asked sadly, still looking at him.

"Shelley!"Dr. Parker shouted one last time, a warning in his voice now. Shelley had had it. She was the only one who could see how unfair it was that they were keeping him locked up, keeping him from belonging in a world he had worked so hard to earn admittance into. Didn't they understand that this was all he ever wanted, was to be loved and accepted by others? Why was she the only one who understood that? This was the perfect opportunity for him, and they were taking it away from him.

"May I be excused?"Shelley said after a beat of silence.

"You haven't finished your"-

"May I be excused?"she repeated, louder this time as she glared at her mother. Meredith drew back, surprised by her daughter's ferocity.

"Yes, you're excused...,"she said slowly, watching her anxiously as she walked out the room, casting Edgar one last apologetic glance as she went.

"They're saying horrible things about me..."Edgar whimpered pathetically when she had left, sinking into the chair and burying his face in his hands.

"Oh, Edgar...,"Meredith said softly, coming over to him.

"It's torture standing here idly while I'm being slandered in public!"he continued, "Please, you must allow me to show myself!"he pleaded, looking up at Dr. Parker.

"Oh Thomas, can't we let him go?"Meredith pleaded, turning to him. Thomas looked aghast at the idea.

"Well, no. I've given my word of honor."

"But_ surely _this is more importa"-

"My word of honor, Meredith?"he interrupted, "This would humiliate me!"

"But he's so well-behaved and well-spoken! If they could just see"-

"No! I'm putting my foot down! We're not going to the revival, and that's final." Meredith stared hard at Thomas, at the man she had been able to work around countless times in the past. She wasn't going to sacrifice her son's happiness for her husband's pride. They were right - this was the perfect opportunity. It wasn't right to hold him back any longer.

"Fine. Don't go,"she said simply and decisively, "Shelley and I will go with Edgar." Thomas stared at her incredulously. Edgar looked up, surprised.

"But I'm putting my foot down!"Thomas interjected.

"Yes, dear, and the _rest_ of us are going to the revival,"she stated victoriously, turning back to Edgar, "It's settled."

"Really?"Edgar asked softly,"You're not too ashamed of me?"he asked, his voice soft and hesitant, as if giving her the option to say otherwise. Thomas stood in the background, staring furiously at the two of them.

"No, Edgar, of course not!"she replied immediately, taking his face in her hands and gently kissing his forehead, "We all love you so much. You know that, don't you? Say that you do."

"I do,"he replied, his heart swelling with the tenderness and emotion he felt in knowing that this was true. She kissed him gently again, holding him tenderly as any mother would. Edgar laid his head down on her shoulder, letting himself sink into her comforting warmth for just a brief moment, until a hand out of nowhere suddenly yanked Mrs. Parker away from him.

"How could you do this to me?"Dr. Parker shouted. Edgar, like Meredith, had grown accustomed to simply ignoring Dr. Parker as long as he was not speaking directly to him. The moment Dr. Parker pulled Meredith up, however, something snapped inside him. Dr. Parker's eyes were angry and threatening, like the eyes of the wild enemy bear or coyote that he would occasionally encounter in his cave. He pulled Mrs. Parker away from him with the same deliberation and agressiveness that the enemy would use to attack a potential threat. And what did you do when the enemy tried to attack?

You stop them.

Edgar didn't quite realize he was on top of Dr. Parker until he heard Mrs. Parker's scream. His teeth were bared against Dr. Parker's neck, ready to stop his predator, and then suddenly he was snapped back to reality, unable to recall exactly how he had gotten there.

"Edgar! Edgar, get off of Dr. Parker, honey!"Meredith said, pulling him up before he even realized what he had done. Slowly he stood up and turned back to Dr. Parker, who was still sprawled on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry,"he stammered, turning helplessly between the two, panting heavily as he looked pleadingly at Mrs. Parker, unsure if he wanted to apologize or ask what had even happened.

"No, no, it's alright,"she whispered soothingly, much to his surprise. He had immediately assumed that he was in trouble, or that he would at least be scolded for what he had done, even make him leave. But instead she pulled him tightly into her arms.

"It's just because you're hungry...,"she whispered soothingly. Edgar closed his eyes, trying to calm down. He _was_ hungry, he realized, but was he hungry enough to kill? He had seen Dr. Parker shove Meredith, and he had attacked. That was all there was to it. But how had he been able to do such a thing to Dr. Parker? Surely he had more self-control than that?

"I'm sorry...,"he repeated softly, hanging his head in shame. Mrs. Parker gently tilted his chin back up, smiling reassuringly. She kissed him once more, trying to calm him down.

"Tomorrow we'll go to the revival, and everything will turn out perfectly,"she said reassuringly, holding his shoulders firmly, "Don't you think so, Thomas?" Edgar glanced nervously over at Dr. Parker, who had by now gotten back up on his feet. He thought he saw a flicker of a sinister glare aimed directly at him, but the look was gone the moment Meredith spoke. He must have imagined it.

"Yes! Yes I do!"he exclaimed. There was a beat of silence. The suddenness of Dr. Parker's change of heart struck Edgar dumb for a moment.

"Really?"Meredith asked, equally as surprised.

"Well, sure! We'll all go to the revival, it'll be great!" Both Edgar and Meredith couldn't help but stare incredulously.

"Right... exactly!"Meredith exclaimed, still confused but turning happily back to Edgar.

"Meredith, why don't you go tell Shelley the good news while I give Edgar his medication?"Thomas suggested, casting Edgar a strange look he had never seen before.

"Oh yes! Thank you, Thomas,"she said, casting a quick look of gratitude over her shoulder. Meredith turned back to Edgar, a loving and tender look on her face as she took his hand gently in her own and told him, "I love you so much, Edgar..." She reached in and wrapped him tightly in her arms. She then kissed him once more and whispered, holding his face close to hers, "Things will turn out alright, you'll see..." Edgar couldn't love her more if he tried. He felt so remarkably safe and comfortable with her, he felt like it didn't matter how tomorrow went after all. As long as he still had a family to return to, nothing mattered.

"Thank you, Mrs. Parker...,"he answered softly, trying his best to say it with all the love and gratitude he felt for her at the moment. He watched her go upstairs, feeling completely secure until the moment she left - when he was left alone with Dr. Parker.

"I'm sorry I hurt you...,"he said slowly, lowering his head as he turned to him. There was a beat of silence.

"Are you hungry, Edgar?"Dr. Parker asked, a sick sarcastic smile on his face that Edgar didn't see because his face was turned downward. Edgar didn't reply for a moment. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore the aching hunger pains that he had just noticed the moment he attacked Dr. Parker. Surely Dr. Parker of all people would understand what he was going through. Surely he was sick of this too, killing and feeding and killing and feeding - and what did it all amount to? Nothing but mounting guilt and a heaping pile of corpses from innocent animals' lives he took.

Edgar felt Dr. Parker's presence over him, and he couldn't help but feel tears of frustration and self-loathing burning behind his eyes. Why did he have to do this? Surely what he was doing was evil and deserving of the highest degree of shame. Why else would Dr. Parker make him eat in the bathroom instead of with the rest of the family? Why else would Mrs. Parker continually pretend, even now, when he had lived here for two months, to not know what he was really eating? Why would God forbid it if he was not committing a great evil?

"You're crying,"Dr. Parker scoffed, a strange sinister smile on the older man's face, "Why are you crying?" Edgar purposely didn't look Dr. Parker in the eye, avoiding answering.

"Because I'm hungry,"he said finally, but that wasn't at all what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Dr. Parker how ashamed he felt that he was so disgusting and abnormal compared to everyone - especially the family. He wanted to say how sick he was of being hungry, how willing he was to change. He wanted to tell Dr. Parker how ugly he felt amidst so much beauty in the world.

"You know I'll feed you,"Dr. Parker said, still smiling that strange smile. Edgar hesitated. He wanted to talk about it with somebody, and Dr. Parker was the only person who knew about his condition.

"I know...,"he began, then paused and tried again, looking up to meet Dr. Parker's eyes, "But...in Genesis 9, verse 4, God says to Noah, 'Blood ye shall not eat'..."

"Well, that's pretty clear now, isn't it?" He laughed a little, but Edgar didn't see what was so funny.

"Yes, a commandment from God himself!"Edgar continued. He paused a moment, then turned slowly back to Dr. Parker. "Do you...think I'll ever be able to stop?"

"Well, I don't know. Do _you_ think you can?" Edgar hesitated before answering. He had honestly never thought about it before. He had always thought perhaps his hunger was something that would one day disappear with practice or patience, not as something he could willingly control.

"Yes,"he replied immediately, then hesitated. He pressed a hand against his stomach as another hunger wave hit him hard. There was Dr. Parker, standing only a few feet away from him, completely alone with him in the room...

Edgar quickly looked away, breathing deeply through his mouth as he momentarily closed his eyes and tried not to think about his gnawing hunger, or the way he attacked Dr. Parker without even realizing what he was doing...

"...Maybe,"he finally said, unsurely.

"Well, if you think you can, perhaps you can. It's all a matter of willpower, I suppose,"he said, retrieving his work bag, "But then again...if it's part of your nature, well...that's another story." Edgar watched, horrified, as Dr. Parker pulled out a small rabbit by its fur, its nose wiggling and wide, luminous eyes looking directly at him.

"I-It's not dead,"Edgar breathed, backing away.

"Hmm? Oh, well, you don't need me to kill it for you now, do you?"he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he placed the squirming rabbit in his shaking arms, "Maybe this would be a good time to test yourself...Can you resist?" Edgar didn't know how to respond. He stared at the rabbit, its soft paws resting lightly on his chest, its warmth seeping into his skin, its large, warm brown eyes piercing him.

"I, um"-

"Try Psalms 23,"he interrupted, that strange smile on his face again. Edgar nodded distantly, barely aware of what Dr. Parker was saying. He didn't know how long he stood there, staring at the rabbit he was holding, trying with all his might to not think about how easy it would be to simply bite it right then, when it was still alive and unsuspecting. At some point the sound of Mrs. Parker's voice upstairs made him decide to move into the bathroom, where he locked himself in and let the animal roam free on the hard linoleum floor. He watched it as his hands balled into fists, his throat tighten and his whole body shake with the effort to remember the morals Mrs. Parker had taught him, remember that life was sacred and wasn't for his to take. He closed his eyes and tried to believe this with every fiber of his being.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, staring at the rabbit, lying casually on the bathroom floor, its chest rising and falling with every living breath it could still take in. "Go. Get out while you can,"he whispered softly, pleading with the creature he knew couldn't understand him, "I'm dangerous." He tried saying the same thing in Bat, but to no avail. The animal simply stared stupidly at him, oblivious to the danger before it. Edgar squeezed his eyes shut and held his stomach, trying to subdue tears. This was a living thing. This was a living creature, with some sort of family unit, just like the bats in his old home did. This creature's life was just as sacred as any member of his previous family's. Was he a monster, then, for taking a life in order to sustain his own? Was he really any more important than them because he was more human than animal?

He remembered once Mrs. Parker telling him that when you needed strength or wanted to ask something of God, he should pray for it. Edgar had never prayed before, but if there was a God that was capable of helping him, it wouldn't hurt to try. In reality, there were very few things that the Bible taught that Edgar had tried for himself. For all the wonderful blessings he had read about that were promised to the righteous and faithful, there had always been a part of him that had never really believed he would ever be deserving of those blessings.

Slowly he lowered his head and knelt down, feeling a little silly and awkward.

"Dear God,"he began, hoping that was the right introduction, "Please...won't you change who I am, or prove I'm human underneath? Please...if I can't prove them wrong, show me where I belong. If you make me complete, I'll avoid all red meat. I'll eat nothing but soy..."Edgar paused, realizing he had no idea what soy even was or tasted like.

"Um...amen,"he said unsurely, cracking his eyes open. He sat there for a moment, trying to decide if his prayer was adequate or not. He had never had any experience praying, and he wished now that Mrs. Parker had taught him how.

He didn't know what he was expecting. There was no lightning bolt of revelation that came to him, no sudden knowledge of what to do. But the Bible taught that God worked in subtle ways. Maybe it would take a while for the message to kick in...

Hours passed and the rabbit was still there, quite alive. Edgar felt drained, weak, but triumphant.

He must have been there for a long time when Dr. Parker suddenly opened the door without knocking, completely drunk. Even ignorant Edgar recognized this behavior, he was so used to it by now. The rabbit immediately jumped up and scurried behind the toilet, as if it too, recognized the crazed look in Thomas' eyes.

"What? Still drawing out the inevitable?"Dr. Parker sneered, his hatred unmasked, uninhibited. It would have taken Edgar by surprised if he knew any better. Edgar didn't move, afraid that any movement would break his concentration. He had made it this long. His hands were shaking with the effort to resist, but he had managed. Thomas glared down at the boy, weak and shaking with the same crazed look in his eyes he had seen when he had attacked him. At this rate he wouldn't last much longer, and Thomas still had a role to play.

Edgar didn't notice what Dr. Parker was doing until the knife had been sliced through the throat of the animal. He didn't bother to hand the dead carcass to Edgar. He simply dropped it on the ground and left the room without closing the door behind him, leaving Edgar to fight to keep himself away from the rich, poignant scent of blood now filling his nostrils. Edgar didn't know how he could take it any longer. His hunger was blinding him, hurting him to a point where if he didn't eat soon, he would literally go insane. The smell of the animal's blood filled his nose, making him dizzy with thirst. Though he was both repulsed and disgusted by his own hunger, he couldn't help draw closer, resisting every second. Tears burned his eyes as he took the animal in his hands, knowing from the moment he felt a drop of blood leak onto his finger, that he was going to lose. He was going to lose and he always would lose, no matter how long and hard he fought.

The tears finally fell just as his lips at last met the taste of still-warm fresh blood. He ate, unable to help crying just a little, as if his shame was God's affirmation that he was, indeed, no better or worthier than the life he had taken.

This was what he was, then, he thought. If even God couldn't accept him, he didn't stand a chance of even hoping the townsfolk could.

* * *

><p>AN: The last chapter was freaking long, and so I again split it into two. Sorry for all the boring show dialogue.<p> 


	20. Week 10: Confessions

Week 10:Confessions

"Edgar!"Shelley called from the top of the stairs. She waited. Usually he could hear her from the guest room, but there wasn't a sound. When he didn't appear, she quickly ran down the stairs.

"Where is he?"she thought to herself, poking her head in his room and seeing that he wasn't there. She stepped out and suddenly noticed that the bathroom light was on. She took a step toward the light and saw that the door was cracked open.

Shelley didn't quite understand what she was seeing at first. A foul smell wafted through the door, a smell she didn't recognize. She could see Edgar crouching on the floor with his back to her, thick, red liquid on the floor and all over his hands and face, Edgar's head bent close to what appeared to be some sort of animal, and the unmistakable sounds of slurping. Shelley's legs froze as she gaped at him, unable to believe what she was seeing. That couldn't be...blood?

At some point Shelley was able to regain the use of her legs and back slowly away from the door. She felt her heart beat hard inside her chest as she tiptoed back upstairs as fast as she could and shut her bedroom door behind her. She realized she was shaking as she collapsed on her bed.

Her first response was repulsion. The very smell coming from the bathroom was enough to make her head spin. That Edgar could eat that - _had_ to eat it - was disgusting. It was beyond disgusting - it was freakish. That wasn't human - even animals wouldn't resort to that.

When Shelley's limbs stopped shaking and she felt calm enough to think clearly, she sat up and tried hard to think about what this meant. This much she knew: One, Edgar drank blood. Two, he had kept it a secret until now. That, she could understand. Three, as far as she knew, her family were the only people who knew. She could only guess where Edgar was getting animals from, and there was no way her father would freely hand out information like that to the town without reason. Besides, she would have heard about it by now if anybody else knew. If other people found out, she couldn't imagine the kind of disgust and hatred the townspeople would show Edgar.

Shelley sunk down on the floor, trying to think. Edgar was her dearest friend, and nothing - even this - wouldn't change that. Repulsed as she was, she tried to frame this new information in Edgar's point of view. He had never eaten with the rest of the family. Shelley had noticed this long ago, but she had never questioned it when her mother simply explained he needed to take his "medication," as if his hunger was a severe disorder abnormal from that of the rest of the family that needed to be given treatment. Shelley thought about this for a moment. How must Edgar feel when her mother said it that way in front of him? How must it feel to have a secret codename placed on something so unoffensive as hunger? Why didn't Edgar ever tell her what he felt?

Even as she thought the question, she knew the answer. Edgar never told her because he was afraid to. She knew him well enough by now. She knew how scared he was, even now, of doing something wrong to make her or her mother like him less. Ever since that night when he had confessed how insecure he felt around her, she had paid extra attention for signs. And she had found them - everyday, in small comments, in small acts - she came to realize how scared and nervous he really was. And the more afraid she realized it, the more she came to love him for trying so hard despite his fears. Disgusting as it was, this was part of who he was, and knowing how afraid he must be to share that part of himself with her made her realize she really couldn't blame him for not telling her.

Shelley closed her eyes and sat back down on the bed. She tried to imagine hating him, or being disgusted by him. But no matter how hard she tried imagining the thought of being disgusted by Edgar, she couldn't. She loved him. She loved that he wanted her love enough that he would hide the one thing that in his eyes made him ugly and abnormal to her. She loved that despite the fact he drank blood, no matter how disgusting it is, he would always be beautiful to her because she knew that his intentions were innocent and pure. She loved that he tried so hard to protect her from himself.

She loved him. She realized this now more than ever. She loved him so much, she knew she couldn't stand to keep her feelings bottled up forever. No matter how scared he was, or how scared she was that telling him would ruin their friendship, she needed to.

"I have to to tell him...,"she whispered quietly to herself. Just saying the words out loud set her at ease. Shelley laid back against her bed, closing her eyes and silently repeating the words over and over to herself to convince herself that they weren't just wishful promises. This time was different. This time she would finally do it.

* * *

><p>Shelley didn't have the courage to approach him until she knew there was a chance that he had already gone to bed. She emerged from her room quietly and peeked down the stairs, only to see Edgar at the bottom, on his way up. Her heart dropped but she forced a cheerful smile anyway.<p>

"Hey. I thought you would have already went up to bed by now,"Shelley called out from the top of the stairs. Her voice was surprisingly steady. It was almost strange to see him the same as always now, the blood and gore she had seen on his face and hands completely gone and replaced with that familiar innocent smile.

"I didn't get to say goodnight to you yet,"he said in reply.

"Well, come say goodnight now,"she said, coming down the stairs, "I'm so happy my mom is letting you go tomorrow!"

"I am too,"he said, beaming happily, "I never got to thank you for standing up for me today, Shelley."

"You don't have to thank me for that,"she said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about what people in town were saying...I didn't want to worry you..."

"Oh, it's alright,"he said, smiling weakly and glancing down, "I suppose I should have guessed..."

"...Are you scared for tomorrow?"Shelley asked quietly. Edgar slowly nodded.

"...What if they don't approve of me, Shelley?"he asked softly.

"They will. They'll love you,"she assured him, hesitating before quietly adding, "...I know I do." Edgar smiled gratefully at her, not understanding the peculiar look Shelley was giving him.

"...Do you know what that means, Edgar?"she asked finally when he didn't respond. He tilted his head to the side, confused.

"Love? Um...,"he said, thinking "To love someone means to regard with favor or have a warm personal attachment to someone."

"Yeah, but I mean...have you ever felt it for someone before?"she asked. He frowned.

"Um...,"he said hesitantly, looking uncomfortable at the sudden change in direction this conversation had taken, "In...what context?"

"In a romantic way,"she said slowly, deliberately looking him in the eye, "Like in a boy-girl way."

"...R-romantic?"he asked, not looking at her.

"You know, like the married kind." Edgar looked at her questioningly. He had never seen Mr. and Mrs. Parker treat each other very affectionately at all. In fact, when Dr. Parker got near her, she seemed to shrink away.

"Is it like stronger liking?"he asked, thinking maybe she was talking about_ other _marriages he had read about that did seem more affectionate. He knew what romantic meant - the dictionary definition anyway. He had read a few classic romances, but he had never made a connection to the feelings he felt now to the feelings of the characters. They were words on a page, not feelings. The way Shelley described it though made his thoughts flicker back to all those countless moments when he had felt a strange burning in his chest and wondered why he felt more giddy around Shelley than he ever did around Mrs. Parker, why even though he loved them both dearly, there was a part of him that had always longed for Shelley's presence and admired her in a way he had never admired Mrs. Parker.

"Kind of, yeah. It's like...when a boy and girl really want to be with each other and express their affections for each other,"she explained, blushing a little, "It's when you care about someone a lot and you're really attracted to them physically and emotionally."

"That kind...is it normal?"he asked slowly.

"Yeah, of course it is,"she said.

"Are you sure?"he asked, looking serious now. Shelley laughed in amusement.

"Of course it's normal, Edgar. Everybody feels it at some point."

"Oh good,"Edgar said, breathing a sigh of relief, "I'm glad."

"Why are you glad?" Edgar shifted his feet, nervously looking down.

"Um...because...I think I've felt that way about someone. I just...um...I was just afraid there might be something wrong with me, that's all." Her breath caught in her throat as Shelley slowly put two and two together. Edgar began to look uncomfortable, suddenly aware that he had said too much.

"...Is that someone...me?"

Edgar felt his face burn up, not knowing what to say to her or how to respond. He felt a slow numbness creep from the tips of his fingertips to the end of his toes until he could scarcely remember how to breath. She was asking him to confess his deepest secret, his deepest fear. His mind went blank. He didn't know what to say or do.

"She'll just laugh at me,"he thought bitterly to himself, "How can someone as beautiful like her possibly feel the same about someone as abnormal and disgusting as me?" He felt himself shy up, hiding away in his shell. He hung his head for a moment, bracing himself for the inevitable. He knew this moment had to come. He just wished he could stay being her friend a little longer before she came to think so little of him.

"...Yes,"he finally whispered, not looking at her. He waited for the laughter to come. He waited and waited, but it never came.

"...Why didn't you tell me?"she asked softly. He hesitated, scared, though a little reassured from her lack of a negative reaction.

"...Because I'm scared,"he responded finally, "And...embarrassed." Shelley opened her mouth to say something, but his expression when he said this stopped her. He looked more than scared. He looked humiliated, like he was ashamed of his feelings.

"Why? I thought it was so obvious that I..." Edgar glanced up at her, confused.

"That you what?"

"That...I liked you too." Edgar stared at her incredulously, unsure if he heard her right.

"You...what?"he asked slowly, wide-eyed with disbelief.

"I like you, Edgar...a lot,"she said softly.

"...In a friend way?"he asked quietly, more scared now than he ever was before, "Or..."

"No...like the way you said you liked me,"she said softly.

"I-wha..._Why?_"he blurted out without thinking. She laughed, making his heart jump as she reached out and gently reached for his hand.

"Because you're you,"she said with a gentle smile, "That's why." He gaped, feeling like he would melt as she looked lovingly at him. He felt uncomfortable, still unable to believe that her loving stare was for him. Without meaning to, he took a step back away from her, his breath catching in his throat.

"I'm sorry,"he whispered softly, looking apologetically at her, "I didn't mean to do that. I'm just...kind of shocked."

"It's okay,"she said softly. She closed the distance between them once more, glancing up at him.

"Try again,"she whispered softly. He could barely breathe. Slowly he leaned in slightly, glancing up at her to make sure this was okay. Then suddenly a sound just above them stopped him, making him jump back again.

"Shelley? Edgar?"Meredith called from upstairs,"Kids, get to bed, it's late." Shelley waited until her mother was gone to turn back to Edgar. He stared at her blankly, not knowing what to say or do, or how to return to that moment when they were about to - he didn't even know what they were about to do. Slowly he looked back down and gently let her hand go. Shelley looked disappointed.

"I guess... we should probably get to bed,"she said slowly. She turned around hesitantly, waiting to see if he would say or do something.

"Shelley, wait,"Edgar said just as she began walking back up the stairs. She stopped immediately and looked back at him.

"Yeah?"she asked. He paused a moment, looking down at his feet in embarrassment. Finally he took the small two steps it took to fill the space between them and, for the first time without asking, hugged her. Shelley hugged him back slowly, confused but happy. She leaned her head on his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She could hear his heart beat wildly with nervousness, but she thought it was so cute.

"Thank you so much, Shelley,"he whispered softly, "For telling me. I feel so relieved." He laughed lightly in her ear, smiling into her shoulder. She felt her heart melt with love as she wrapped her arms tighter around him, breathing him in, filling herself with his sweet scent.

He released her gently, carefully, as if he were afraid of breaking the bond that had newly formed between them. She reached in slowly, gently brushing her hand against his. Then without warning she leaned in and kissed him. The kiss surprised Edgar, to say the least. He felt dizzy and breathless, like someone had kicked his legs out from behind him. He still couldn't quite wrap his mind around the fact that Shelley was kissing him, not because she was being nice or taking pity on him, but because she actually wanted to. He didn't know how or why, but somehow here she was, his own angel he worshipped and adored, somehow able to transcend to his level of bitter disgustingness and ugliness and offer up a love that he knew a black and sinful soul such as his could never deserve.

They broke apart slowly, both unwilling to let the kiss end. Edgar glanced shyly at her, wishing he knew what to do next. It felt natural to kiss her again, and hesitantly, he did so, surprised that she followed him, fervently kissing him back.

"I told you you weren't capable of a girl not liking you,"she whispered softly when they broke apart. Edgar smiled slowly, feeling his heart swell with love.

"Shelley? If...things go badly tomorrow...would you still feel the same about me?"

"Edgar, don't worry,"she said, smiling reassuringly, "I'm not going anywhere. You don't need to be afraid of failing. I'll be right there with you. I promise." Edgar forced a smile, trying to believe her.

"Thank you...,"he said softly. Shelley smiled and wrapped her arms around him once more. When they broke apart, Edgar glanced down, rubbing his head.

"Um..."

"We should...probably get some sleep,"Shelley finished. He nodded.

"Night, Edgar,"Shelley said softly. Edgar glanced up at her, offering a shy smile.

"Goodnight, Shelley,"he responded. She walked back upstairs slowly, her gaze lingering for a while before she finally disappeared in her room. Edgar watched her go, and when she was finally gone, he felt his stomach do a flip-flop as he walked back to his room, unable to stop smiling. For the first time in a long time, Edgar felt truly happy.

* * *

><p>Everyone but Dr. Parker was tense the next morning, but nobody was willing to show it.<p>

"Edgar, dear, are you almost ready?"Meredith asked. Edgar had been ready an hour ago. He was waiting for them.

He nodded stiffly, unable to do much else.

"Everything's going to be fine, dear,"she said, sensing what was wrong, "There's nothing to be nervous about." He nodded again. Mrs. Parker cast him one last worried look and then left the room.

"Hey,"a voice said softly from behind him. He turned around slowly to face Shelley, struck dumb for a moment. Edgar had seen Shelley dress up for church before, but for some reason she simply looked, if possible, even more breathtakingly beautiful than usual. He wanted to take her and replay everything that had happened the previous night, but he couldn't even move, he was so petrified with nervousness.

"You look beautiful, Shelley,"he complimented her instead. She looked down at herself, as if just noticing that she was wearing a dress.

"You look pretty handsome yourself, Edgar,"she answered playfully, trying to lighten the mood. She stepped forward and handed something to him that Edgar hadn't noticed she was holding before.

"What's this?"he asked, taking it from her.

"A sort-of present,"she said, shrugging, "To boost your confidence." He looked down and examined what it was he was holding. It appeared to be some sort childish grammar book. He opened it and found a page devoted to the definition of an adverb.

"Um...thank you,"he said, unsure what this was for but nonetheless grateful for her concern.

"That was the first grammar book I used for you. Remember? When you got really upset because you didn't understand any of it?"she asked, smiling. Edgar stared at her for a moment, then flipped the book back open and stared at the pages in disbelief.

"This is the same book?"he asked in disbelief.

"I made you cry, remember?"she laughed. Edgar flushed, wishing she hadn't brought that up.

"You were trying to teach me prepositional phrases..."

"I think you know a little bit more than just prepositional phrases now, Edgar,"Shelley said warmly. Edgar stared at her for a moment, not knowing what to say. Slowly he broke out into a soft smile, his earlier nervousness washed away from his mind.

"Thank you, Shelley,"he said gratefully.

"Anytime,"she said softly in reply, her eyes unwaveringly on him. He could tell there was something she wanted to say to him, but wouldn't because she didn't want to distract him from what was coming.

"May I hug you?"he asked politely. Shelley laughed and rolled her eyes, pulling him in for a kiss instead. Edgar kissed her back, a huge smile breaking over his face. They stayed like that for a long time until he heard Mrs. Parker coming back, gently releasing her just as she walked in.

"Ready to go?"Mrs. Parker asked him. He nodded, a little more confidently this time.

"Let's go then." Mrs. Parker tried to sound calm and reassured, but Edgar could tell she was nervous too. They were all nervous. He felt Shelley quietly approach him from behind and gently slip her hand into his. He tried to relax as they got into the car, but he was too dizzy and light-headed to even realize that this was his first time being in a car.

Shelley climbed in the backseat next to him - not the window seat but the middle seat. She angled her legs so her mother couldn't see her reach for his hand again, purposely leaning in close to him. Edgar closed his eyes and tried to shove down the butterflies flooding his stomach, whether they were from Shelley or from what was coming he didn't know, though.

He couldn't even concentrate on the moving images flying past. His mind was too full. For some reason he felt as if he was racing to his own doom - running to find out if he was as normal as Mrs. Parker insisted he was, or forever cursed to be the monster he felt sure he was on that bathroom floor. It all depended on them. If he could be normal to them, that was proof enough for that he was normal enough to belong in this world.

"Edgar?" Mrs. Parker's voice brought him back down to reality. He snapped his head up, realizing for the first time that they had stopped, and just outside his window was a large tent.

"How are you feeling, dear?"Meredith asked softly, concern and worry in her voice.

"...Not well...,"he murmured.

"You look kind of green,"Shelley commented quietly.

"Sweetheart, it's normal to be nervous,"she comforted him, "Just know we're all behind you." He nodded stiffly, trying to look for comfort in what she was saying, but all he felt was fear. Mrs. Parker stared at him for a moment, waiting for him to say something. Then without a word, she got out of the car and came around to the back. He was about to get out when she suddenly leaned down and wrapped her arms around him. Confused, he slowly hugged her back.

"I want you to know, dear, that whatever happens, I'm so proud of you. You've come so far, and you've worked so hard. And even if things don't go the way you hoped, just know that I'll always love you, sweetheart." He stared at her blankly as she leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead. He closed his eyes and held his breath, trying with all his might to believe her, to believe that his family's love was enough to make him feel worthy to be a part of a world he had learned to love and appreciate with all his heart.

As the three of them walked nervously toward the tent, Edgar felt two pairs of hands slip into his. He glanced sideways at Shelley, who offered a reassuring smile and a light squeeze on his hand. Ready to take the biggest chance he had ever made, he breathed in a deep breath and took his first cautious steps into the light of the revival tent.

* * *

><p>AN: The end. :) Or at least, end of Act 1. And I'm not doing Act II, so yeah, it kind of is the end. I did a rewrite of the <em>Children, children <em>scene, but I lost the edited version and I'm not sure I'm willing to go back and do it again. We'll see. Thanks for reading, both reviewers and non-reviewers alike!


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